“Holy smoke!” said Mr. Dunn. “I don’t know. But——”
“The madman advanced on me. His face livid, his eyes mad, and his hands arranged before him in such a way as to leave one no room to doubt that his immediate intention was to strangle me. I threatened to fire. Can you, can anyone, blame me? Was I wrong, may one not defend one’s life?”
“Holy smoke!” said Mr. Dunn. “Certainly. But——”
“My threat to fire did not discommode his mad approach. I kept on making it. But did he stop?”
“Did he?” gasped Mr. Dunn.
“Mr. Dunn, he did not. I fired.”
“You didn’t!” said Mr. Dunn.
“I did,” said my lady.
“But holy smoke!” cried Mr. Dunn. “You killed him!”
“No,” she whispered sadly. “I missed. Mr. Dunn, he killed me.”