would amount to about the same, even if a jury
refused to send you up," said he brutally, grinning a little over the
sight of her consternation. "You'd be indicted, you see, by the Federal
grand jury, and arrested by the United States marshal, and locked up.
Then you'd be tried, and your picture would be put in the papers, and
the devil would be to pay all around. You'd lose your homestead anyhow,
and your right to ever take another. Then where would the City of Refuge
be?"

"But you wouldn't do it," she appealed, placing her hand on his arm,
looking into his face beseechingly, the sudden weight of her trouble
making her look old. "You wouldn't do it, Jerry, would you?"

"Wouldn't I?" he mocked disdainfully. "Well, you watch me!"

"It's a cowardly way to use an advantage over a woman!"

"Never mind," grinned Boyle. "I'll take care of that. If that tin-horn
doctor wants to toe the line and do what I say to keep you out of a
Federal pen, then let him step lively. If he does it, then you can stay
here in peace as long as you live, for anything I'll ever say or do.
You'll be Agnes Horton to me as long as my tongue's in workin' order,
and I'll never know any more about where you came from or what passed
before in your history than Smith down there."

Agnes stood with her head drooping, as if the blackmailer's words had
taken away the last shoring prop of her ambition and hope. After a while
she raised her white, pained face.

"And if I refuse to draw the doctor into this to save myself?" she
asked.

"Then I guess you'll have to suffer, old kid!" said he.

Boyle saw the little tremor which ran over her shoulders like a chill,
and smiled when he read it as the outward signal of inward terror. He
had no doubt in the world that she would lay hold of his alternative to
save herself and her plans for others, as quickly as he, coward at
heart, would sacrifice a friend for his own comfort or gain.

Yet Agnes had no thought in that moment of sacrificing Dr. Slavens and
his prospects, which the unmasking of Boyle's hand now proved to be
valuable, to save herself. There must be some other way, she thought,
and a few hours to turn it in her mind, and reflect and plan, might show
her the road to her deliverance. She did not doubt that the penalty for
what she had done would be as heavy as Boyle threatened.

"So it's up to you, handle first," exulted Boyle, breaking her
reflections. "I'll ride off down the river a little piece