had a clear way to get to La
Chance. That old ass Thompson gave me that, when I scooped him up on the
road. After I'd used him, two of my men drowned him in Lac
Tremblant--and you'd never have guessed a word about it, if it hadn't
been for his cursed card they overlooked in the shack here, where you
found it. It was I put that bottle in your wagon the day it broke there.
I did it before I knew Paulette was going to drive with you; that was
the only thing in the whole business that ever gave me a scare! It was I
got rid of Collins and Dunn"--I saw that he believed it, just as he
believed he was rid of Dudley--"and the most of your men who might have
stuck by you if it came to a fight for the mine. I had to shoot the last
four of them, as you _didn't_ find out that night in the assay office! I
baited the bush that rid me of Dudley Wilbraham, with his yells about
emeralds and hunting down Thompson's murderer; and I've got your and his
mine, in spite of your blowing up and drowning all the men I meant to
hold it with. But you found out most of that, even if it was a little
late. What you didn't find out, or Dudley either, was that he was right
about Van Ruyne's emeralds!"

Paulette leapt up like a wildcat. "You mean you took them?"

"I took them," he nodded sneeringly, and I saw her eyes blaze. "I took
them--to get you into a hole you'd have to come to me to get out of!"

"But I didn't have to come to you! I----" but she spoke with sudden
cutting deliberation. "I don't believe you. You were never in the
Houstons' house that night. I should have seen you."

"Oh, seen me!" Macartney grinned. I think the two of them forgot me,
forgot everything but that they were facing each other at last with the
masks off. I know neither of them heard a slow, creeping, nearing sound
in the long burrow behind Macartney, a sound that swung my blood up
with the wild, furious hope that Collins and Dunn--anyhow Collins--was
hot on Macartney's trail, as Macartney had been on Paulette's and mine,
and was creeping down the burrow behind him now, ready to take him in
the rear when I jumped at him from the front. I waited till whoever it
was came close up; waited for the moment to grab Macartney, watching his
triumphant, passionate eyes as he stared victoriously at Paulette.

"Seen me?" he repeated, and I hoped the sound of his own voice would
deafen him to that other sound, that was so loud to me. "You saw the
Houstons' guests, and their servants