ooking ahead to the threatening to-morrow, perceived tragedy looming
again.

Victim, criminals, guard of the criminals, they were breaking bread in a
temporary comradeship of a bizarre nature--a money quest. But that money
interest which bound them of an evening would be a disastrous problem on
the morrow, if one man attempted to stand out against three.

The one man made up his mind that there was a risky resource for him--to
flee and take his chances alone in the woods; he had decided to put his
own personal interpretation on the promise, "To-morrow!"

Right after supper he turned into his bunk, in order to simulate slumber
and avoid the questions that he could not answer.

The two new arrivals had had much to say about their weariness. He
expected that they would promptly eliminate themselves as obstacles to
flight. Mr. Wagg, at any rate, had shown a confiding disposition all
along.

But the tall man and the short man conferred _sotto voce_ and let it
be known that they had suspended payment of confidence currency for the
time being.

"The idea is," explained the short man, "this being a pleasant party,
and all interests being common, it would be a shame to have it broken
up. Tom will sit there in the door for two hours--then he wakes me and
I sit there. We're not accusing anybody inside of wanting to leave; but
who is sure that somebody from the outside may not stroll along and want
to come in? Seeing that we went down to the pen from Levant, it may be
thought--providing they do any thinking at the state prison--that we
have come back here to start in where we left off. On the other hand,
providing they don't do any thinking, they may come up into this section
because a reasoning man never would believe we'd take chances by coming
back into an old stamping ground. Either way it's looked at, we've got
to be careful. Therefore, we hope that gents of a pleasant party will
consider this double-shift arrangement as being for the general good of
all hands."

Mr. Wagg was pleased. He said so unhesitatingly, but not tactfully. He
declared that he would mortally hate to be surprised keeping the company
he was in.

Vaniman was able to stay awake through most of the two watches. But the
short man on sentry go was more vigilant than the tall man had been; two
hours of sleep and the keen hope for the morrow conspired to keep the
guard alert. In despair the young man loosed his hold on the hateful
verities and slipped i