and it shall not go
unpunished."

She spoke to him from the darkness, as the spirit of grief might speak.
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, that is the justice of the
plains. But, Peter, it is but poor justice. What's done is done, and fresh
violence will not give back Alida her husband nor the little ones their
father. What we need is friends, one or two loyal souls who, though
knowing the hideous truth of this thing, will stand by us in our pitiful
falsehood. I have told no one, nor shall I, but you and--Peter, you must
not laugh at your fellow-conspirator--Leander."

He took her hands in his and pressed them; big hands they were, and
hardened by many a homely task, but withal tender and with the healing
quality of womanliness in the touch of their warm, supple fingers. But
to-night she did not seem to know that he held them, nor to be conscious
of his presence. The woman in her was dead of grief. The white spirit in
her place, that plotted and planned that Jim's children and Jim's wife
might not from henceforth walk in the shadow of the gallows, was beyond
the prompting of the flesh. And again she spoke to him in the same
far-away voice, with the same far-away look in her eyes.

"You must know, Peter, that Leander is at heart of the salt of the earth.
I told him about it all, and he asked to be given the commission to deal
with the men. He has risen to his post magnificently. I heard him swear
the wretches to secrecy, hint to them that he had a great story to tell
them. They were frightened, and listened. And the poor little man that we
have so despised told them convincingly how Jim had made good his
escape--even Henderson half believes we saved him."

Peter hoped that she would accuse him of his half-heartedness indirectly,
if not openly. It would have made his conscience more comfortable, and his
conscience troubled him sorely to-night. It was that fatal habit of
procrastination that had brought this thing about. He had hesitated all
these weeks about Judith, and while he had threshed out the pro and con of
her disadvantageous family connection, this hideous tragedy had happened.

"Peter"--and now her eyes seemed to come back to earth again, to lose
something of the far-away look of the sleep-walker--"Peter, I'm cruel to
speak to you of these things now. When your heart is full of your own
happiness, I come to you like a dark shadow with this tragedy. But I am
glad for the good that has come to you, Pe