hey were looking at each other.

"At last Red says, pretty slow and calm, 'Would you like to have that
Indian out of the way?' Mr. Gledware didn't answer, at least not
anything I could hear, but his eyes must have spoken for him, for Red
went on after a while-- 'It's a go, then, is it? Well, that'll take
time--but in a few days--maybe in a few hours--I'll deal with the
chief. And I want your word that after that's accomplished, you'll go
with me to Greer County and stay on the job till Brick Willock swings.'"

"There was a longer silence than before. It lasted so long, and the
room was so still, that after a while I almost imagined that they were
gone, or that I had just waked up from a dreadful dream. My nerves all
clashed in the strangest way--like the shivering of morning ice on a
pool--when Mr. Gledware's voice jarred on my ears. He said, 'How will I
know?'

"'Well,' says Red Kimball roughly, 'how WOULD you know?'

"There was another of those awful silences. Then Mr. Gledware said,
'When you bring me a pin that he always carries about him, I'll know
that Red Feather will never trouble me again.'

"Kimball spoke rougher than before: 'You mean it'll show you that he's
a dead 'un, huh?"

"'I mean what I said,' Mr. Gledware snapped, as if just rousing himself
from a kind of stupor.

"'Well, what kind of pin?' That was Kimball's question.

"Then Mr. Gledware described the pin. He said it was a smooth-faced
gold-rimmed pin of onyx set with pearls. And Kimball said boastingly
that he would produce that pin, as he was a living man. And Mr.
Gledware told him if he did, he'd go to witness against Brick Willock.
So both left the room, and pretty soon, from the window, I saw them
going away on horseback, in opposite directions.

"I mustn't hold back this letter to add any more, it must get off by
the mail that's nearly due. The moment I learn anything new I'll write
again. Of course I know you're no more a highwayman than myself, but
since it's true that you did shoot Red's brother, and since he
evidently died of the wound, I suppose Red could cause you a great deal
of trouble. You could swear that if you hadn't killed Kansas Kimball,
he would have killed my stepfather; and that they had ordered you to
kill me, in my sleep. The trouble is that Mr. Gledware seems to be in
terror about Red Feather, and if Kimball gets him rid of the Indian,
I'm not sure that Mr. Gledware would tell the whole truth. It mig