pened senses told him
that he was surrounded by people. He heard them breathe. The
continued silence was cruel on his nerves. He imagined them moving
cat-footed about him, smiling meaningly at each other as they prepared
to attack. If he only had a wall at his back!

"Keep cool! Keep cool!" he told himself. "They're trying to break
your nerve. Stand fast! Make them speak first!"

Finally one spoke. It was he of the resolute, cynical voice. "Well,
Weir, here we are! What have you got to say for yourself?"

"It's not up to me to say anything," coolly retorted Evan.

There were several chuckles in the room. Their laughter was hateful to
Evan. He gathered from the sounds that the room was of considerable
size. Evidently this house was a more pretentious building than he had
supposed. The voices echoed as they do in a bare room.

"You are in the presence of the Ikunahkatsi," the voice went on, "that
is to say of some of them. We're not at all ill-disposed towards you
personally. On the contrary we admire the pluck you've shown. It's
been some fun to get the best of you. Confess, we fooled you neatly in
the library that day."

Evan thought: "This is the humorous guy that writes the letters."
Aloud he said: "Say your say and have done with it."

The voice resumed: "As I say, it's been a good game. We'd be willing
to go on indefinitely matching our wits against yours, but the dice are
loaded against us, you see. We're outside the law. With that
advantage on your side you'd be bound to get us in the end."

"It's not all fun with us, you see. We have a serious purpose in view.
You are in the way of that purpose and so, regretfully, we've got to
remove you. You're much too good a lad to be in the pay of an old
rascal like Deaves. You ought to be on our side, with the free
spirits. But there you are. I know you wouldn't switch now."

"To a gang of blackmailers? No thank you," said Evan.

"It would be just as well for you to speak civilly," the voice warned
him mildly. "All the gentlemen present are not as patient as I am."

"What do you want of me?" demanded Evan. "Say it."

"You are absolutely in our power here, yet we are willing to release
you on a certain condition."

"What's your proposition?"

"Give me your word of honour that you will leave Simeon Deaves' employ,
and have no further relations with him or his son."

Evan considered what trap might be concealed behind this seeming