fidentially, but he did not feel the anger he had expected and his
antagonist was calm. Still, he was none the less dangerous and would
use any advantage that he could gain.

"Now you had better tell me exactly what you want," Daly resumed.

"I want you to leave my partner alone."

"Would you be satisfied with my promise?"

"No," said Foster; "not without some guarantee."

"Then we must make a bargain. I'm able, if I think it worth while, to
give you what you ask. None of my confederates know anything about
Featherstone's history; this ought to be obvious if you claim that
Walters meant to kill him. Very well; I can, so to speak, bury an
unfortunate error of his so that it will never trouble him again.
That's much. What have you to offer?"

Foster was now confronted with the difficulty he dreaded most, but he
tried to be firm.

"I don't know that I need make an offer. I think I'm able to dictate
terms."

"Are you?" Daly asked with an ironical smile. "Well, suppose you had
me arrested? My defense would be to discredit your partner's evidence.
My lawyer would prove that Featherstone was my enemy and had a motive
for revenge, by admitting that I had demanded money from him and would
tell the court on what grounds. You must see the danger in which you'd
put your friend."

Foster saw it; indeed, he had seen it since he began the chase. He
must silence Daly, but the fellow was a criminal and he could not bring
himself to promise him immunity from the punishment he deserved. Yet
nothing less would satisfy the man. It looked as if he must deny his
duty as a citizen if he meant to save his friend. This was the
problem, and there was apparently no solution. Daly, who understood
it, watched him with dry amusement.

"Well," resumed the latter, "I'll make a proposition. To begin with,
we'll exchange documents; the checks against the papers that compromise
Featherstone."

"Which you haven't brought!"

"Just so," said Daly. "If we both engage to make no use of the
documents we hold, they can be exchanged at some convenient time."

"That means I must put the police off your track and meet you again."

"Exactly; you have no choice. Besides, Featherstone must promise to
keep back anything he knows and you to say nothing about your meeting
with Graham."

"I can't agree," Foster replied.

"Then I'm afraid your partner must take the consequences."

Foster pondered. Daly looked determined, and, knowing