Bideabout sprang from his lurking-place to check her in the midst of her invocation, and to avert the danger that menaced himself. And now he saw the very man draw nigh who had withdrawn the heart of his wife from him, and had made his home miserable; the man on behalf of whom Mehetabel had summoned supernatural aid to rid her of himself. Kneeling behind Thor's Stone, with the steel barrel of his gun laid on the anvil, and pointed in the direction whence came Iver's voice, he waited till his rival should appear, and draw within range, that he might shoot him through the heart. "Summon him again," he whispered. "Iver come!" called Mehetabel. Then through the illuminated haze, like an atmosphere of glow-worm's light, himself black against a background of shining water, appeared the young man. Jonas had his teeth clenched; his breath hissed like the threat of a serpent, as he drew a long inspiration through them. "You are there!" shouted Iver, joyously, and ran forward. She felt a thrill run through the barrel, on which she had laid her hand; she saw a movement of the shoulder of Jonas, and was aware that he was preparing to fire. Instantly she snatched the gun to her, laid the muzzle against her own side, and said: "Fire!" She spoke again. "So all will be well." Then she cried in piercing tones, "Iver! run! run! he is here, and he seeks to kill you." Jonas sprang to his feet with a curse, and endeavored to wrest the gun from Mehetabel's hand. But she held it fast. She clung to it with tenacity, with the whole of her strength, so that he was unable to pluck it away. And still she cried, "Run, Iver, run; he will kill you!" "Let go!" yelled Bideabout. He set his foot against Thor's Stone; he twisted the gun about, he turned it this way, that way, to wrench it out of her hands. "I will not!" she gasped. "It is loaded! It will go off!" "I care not." "Oh, no! so long as it shoots me." "Send the lead into my heart!" "Then let go. But no! the bullet is not for you. Let go, I say, or I will brain you with the butt end, and then shoot him!" "I will not! Kill me if you will!" Strong, athletic, lithe in her movements, Mehetabel was a match for the small muscular Jonas. If he succeeded for a moment in twisting the gun out of her hands it was but for an instant. She had caught the barrel again at another point. He strove to beat her knuckles against Thor's Stone, but she was too dexterous for him. By a twist she brought his hand against the block instead of her own. With an oath he cast himself upon her, by the impact, by the weight, to throw her down. Under the burden she fell on her knees, but did not relinquish her hold on the gun. On the contrary she obtained greater power over it, and held the barrel athwart her bosom, and wove her arms around it.