nder oath." Addressing
Evan he said mockingly: "I don't know what your attitude towards the
bible is, but I'll take a chance. Will you swear it on the bible?"

It suddenly came to Evan that they were just playing with him, that
they had no intention of letting him go. Moreover that hateful voice
had roused a fury in him that was incapable of making further pretences.

"I'll swear nothing," he said sullenly.

"That's too bad!" said the man who faced him, with hypocritical regret.
Evan was sure now that they were grinning among themselves. "I'll have
to return you to your luxurious chamber."

The harsh voice broke in again: "We're taking too big a chance, leaving
him here. We can't stay here ourselves, and the woman is no match for
him. He'll break out."

"What do you propose then?" asked the other man.

"He'll never let up against us. Look at that stubborn jaw. It's us or
him!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Put him out of the way!"

Evan thought: "They're bluffing!"

But he heard the gentlest voice among them murmur: "Oh, no! no!" And
that was more convincing than the other man's abuse. A chill struck to
his breast.

The angry man turned on him who had protested. "You be quiet! Your
chickenheartedness has spoiled our game more than once! What's the use
of half measures? We're all good for prison sentences if we're caught.
Mark my words this man will put us all behind the bars if we don't put
him where he can do no harm."

He whom Evan had taken to be the leader said: "This is not a question
for us to decide. Put it up to the chief."

So he was not the chief then. One of them left the room. Evan
wondered about this leader who held himself so far above his men that
he disdained to take part in their meetings. Meanwhile he waited for
the return of the messenger as an accused murderer waits for his jury.
Silence filled the room. Through the windows came the voices of the
cheerful katydids and the shrill tree-toads. A sudden sense of the
sweetness of life stabbed Evan like a poniard.

The man was not gone long, nor did he keep Evan waiting for the
verdict. "Chief says I am right," he blurted out--it was the
harsh-voiced one. "Orders are let him pass out before we go home
to-night."

A pent breath escaped from all those in the room. A rush of
conflicting emotions made Evan dizzy; fear, the determination not to
show fear, and that unmanning sense of the terrible sweetness of life.
O