cannot grant that demand."

"You refuse to allow me to communicate with her?"

"If she wishes to communicate with you I won't prevent it."

"You young scoundrel!"

Roger did not reply.

"If you have harmed my little girl, I warn you you will be punished to
the utmost."

"You talk like a parrot!" snarled Garman. "Talk sense--if you can."

Fairclothe cleared his throat. "Did my daughter Annette come to you of
her own free will?"

Roger hesitated before replying.

"No!" he said defiantly.

"Ah! Garman, Garman, what did I tell you--what did I tell you? I knew
Annette never would leave you of her own free will!"

"You ---- impudent squirt!" said Garman, "You mean to tell me you----
No, you wouldn't be man enough to steal her. Who brought her to you?"

Again Roger debated.

"If you come and get her as you threaten to do, you may find out."

Garman's rage was ghastly to behold. The flesh of his face seemed to
swell in puffs, his nostrils widened, his eyes seemed to recede beneath
the fleshy brows. He held up his great hairy hands, closing and
opening them; but enough reason remained in his rage-drunken mind to
comprehend the iciness of the blue eyes above the rifle barrel.

"By----! Fairclothe, I believe you did it yourself," he cried, venting
his rage on the helpless Senator. "Don't try to talk back. I believe
you did it, you and that dried-up, gold-digger of a sister. But
by----! if you have you'll be yanked out of the Senate and go to jail,
Fairclothe! Don't talk! I'm sick of you."

He jerked his paddle from the bottom and the current gently drew the
canoe back downstream. Roger forced a smile of false triumph upon his
face. He must not let Garman turn elsewhere to look for Annette.

"Licked, eh, Garman?" he taunted. "I'll go back and tell Annette about
it. We'll enjoy it together."

The canoe was drifting down the bend.

"And come in a hurry, Garman, if you intend to get her; because if you
wait long you won't find her here."

Garman appeared not to hear; but he swung the canoe round furiously,
and paddled out of sight down the river.

Higgins and Blease returned soon afterward, each reporting that the
guards to the northward had departed, apparently in the same hurried
fashion as those on the muck land. Payne wasted no time in an attempt
to puzzle out the reason for it. If Garman had withdrawn the men to
lay a new trap, it was obvious that Annette's flight had upset his
plans.