ance paused, as your skillful _raconteur_ usually does pause before
the climax. His glance went impersonally over the faces of his
audience. Most of them were leaning forward, a few were breathing
hard. They were listening, straining unconsciously to get the meaning
he withheld from them. Lance's right hand sagged another half inch,
his lips pulled sidewise in the enigmatical smile of the Lorrigans.

"I lied, of course--about the outfit this joke is on. It's really the
Devil's Tooth I'm talking about. But the kick remains, so listen,
folks, just listen.

"I'm a Lorrigan. Two of you are Lorrigans, and you know what I mean
when I say that. The rest of you had better _guess_ what I mean, if
you don't know--and guess right!

"I'm talking to you with my back against the wall--in more ways than
one. Don't think I'm fool enough not to know it. But you're listening
with your backs against another wall; I believe it is of stone,
usually, and the windows have bars. I don't think you're such fools
you fail to grasp my meaning. I'm talking--and you're going to
listen.

"What I said--well, I have the dope, you know. I know where you took
that last bunch of stolen horses, and I know the date when you turned
them over. I have a map or two--I know those secret trails you made,
that lead into that hidden little basin that the Rim has not
discovered yet. I've dope enough to indict the whole outfit on five
separate counts--and any one of them will put every man of you in the
pen for a term of years--well, from five to ten up to fifteen or
twenty--a mere detail.

"I know why Duke didn't come back. There's a yellow streak in Duke,
and he lost his nerve and drifted to parts unknown. Where, I'm not
curious to discover. It doesn't matter, so long as his destination
_remains_ unknown.

"That's the story. And now, here's the point: Others, detectives
working at the other end of the business, have an inkling of some of
this dope. They haven't got what I've got, but they may possibly get
it. They may--possibly. And if they do--wel-ll--" He smiled at them,
his eyebrows pointing his meaning, his fingers tapping, tapping on his
arm.

"You've got to quit. Now, without turning the deal you're working on,
you've got to quit. Get that. Get it right into your souls. You men
that have been hired to steal, you've got to drift. Where, does not
concern me at all. Where Duke went is good--Parts Unknown. Or if it's
to hell--why, the going is good. Nev