The duel to the death began. I was as a naked man before another with a sword. I braced every nerve and stiffened my will! "You are in a very unpleasant predicament, Sir John Custance." The voice was passionless, even a little weary. "I think it's mutual, Mr. Helzephron," was my answer, and I put an accent on the "_Mister_." He should have no honourable military title from me. "Well, that is possible. Indeed, I admit that you have seriously deranged my plans. But the trumps are mine, after all. With your intelligence you must be aware that you have a very short time to live." "I don't doubt that, but I dispute your estimate of your hand." "May I ask why?" "With pleasure. I don't care twopence about my own life in comparison with my duty to society. You care a good deal for yours, and you also have a short time in front of you. If it is any satisfaction to you to know, you're in a net from which even the particular minor devils that preside over thieves can't free you." Thus I lied bravely. A good deal, I thought, might depend on my ability to get the scoundrel into a furious rage, and, anyway, it was a delight to insult him. A sharp breath told me that I had drawn blood. "You use dangerous language, Sir John. You'll be sorry if you go on." "Now, look here," I rapped out, in the tone I should have used to an impudent office boy, "please understand that you can't frighten me. I know that bounders of your type don't understand a gentleman and how he feels about things. I only assure you that you will waste your time. And time _ought_"--I said it with meaning--"to be worth more to you now than all the valuables you picked from the pockets of the _Atlantis_ passengers." He came up to me, and I thought that this was the moment. But he only tore the cloth from my head and returned to his chair. I looked round with interest. The room, no doubt part of the cavern system into which the mine had penetrated, was matchboarded all round. The boarding was painted white, and a cluster of electrics hung from the ceiling. There was a carpet on the floor, a couple of arm-chairs, a writing-table, and a big steel safe. In one corner was another door than the entrance one, partly concealed by a green curtain hanging from a brass rod. Helzephron himself sat opposite. The handsome, hawk-like face was badly bruised. He stared at me with concentrated malignancy. Then he smiled, with a flash of large white teeth. "Really, I should hardly have known you," he said. "I should have recognized you anywhere, even with the bruises!" I replied. "Mr. Ashton left you your teeth, I see." His face grew dark. He nodded twice. "I thought that," he said, half to himself.