4

When he wakened, he jumped at a stride into the full possession of his
faculties. He had been placed near the open door, and the rush of night
air had done its work in reviving him. But Lefty, drawn back to life,
felt only a vague wonder that his life had not been taken. Perhaps he
was being reserved by the victor for an Indian death of torment. He felt
cautiously and found that not only were his hands free, but his revolver
had not been taken from him. A familiar weight was on his chest--the
very knife had been returned to its sheath.

Had Donnegan returned these things to show how perfectly he despised his
enemy?

"He's gone!" groaned the tramp, sitting up quickly.

"He's here," said a voice that cut easily through the roar of the train.
"Waiting for you, Lefty."

The tramp was staggered again. But then, who had ever been able to
fathom the ways of Donnegan?

"Donnegan!" he cried with a sudden recklessness.

"Yes?"

"You're a fool!"

"Yes?"

"For not finishing the job."

Donnegan began to laugh. In the uproar of the train it was impossible
really to hear the sound, but Lefty caught the pulse of it. He fingered
his bruised throat; swallowing was a painful effort. And an
indescribable feeling came over him as he realized that he sat armed to
the teeth within a yard of the man he wanted to kill, and yet he was as
effectively rendered helpless as though iron shackles had been locked on
his wrists and legs. The night light came through the doorway, and he
could make out the slender outline of Donnegan and again he caught the
faint luster of that red hair; and out of the shadowy form a singular
power emanated and sapped his strength at the root.

Yet he went on viciously: "Sooner or later, Donnegan, I'll get you!"

The red head of Donnegan moved, and Lefty Joe knew that the younger man
was laughing again.

"Why are you after me?" he asked at length.

It was another blow in the face of Lefty. He sat for a time blinking
with owlish stupidity.

"Why?" he echoed. And he spoke his astonishment from the heart.

"Why am I after you?" he said again. "Why, confound you, ain't you
Donnegan?"

"Yes."

"Don't the whole road know that I'm after you and you after me?"

"The whole road is crazy. I'm not after you."

Lefty choked.

"Maybe I been dreaming. Maybe you didn't bust up the gang? Maybe you
didn't clean up on Suds and Kennebec?"

"Suds? Kennebec? I sort of remember meeting them."

"You sor