n. It seemed as if my fingers
were being rent asunder at the roots. I could not concentrate my
attention on anything but the physical agony, yet it seems to me now
that Gallagher was muttering a protest across the table.

Bothwell released my hand. I saw a flash of subtle triumph light his
eyes.

"A wilful man must have his way, Mr. Sedgwick," he nodded to me, then
whispered in the ear of George Fleming, who at once left the room.

They pulled me up from the table and seated me in a chair. Bothwell
whistled a bar or two of the sextet from Lucia until he was interrupted
by the entrance of the engineer with Jimmie Welch.

In a flash I knew what the man meant to do, and the devilish ingenuity
of it appalled me. He had concluded that I was strung up to endure
anything he might inflict.

Now he was going to force me to tell what I knew in order to save the
boy from the pain I had myself found almost unendurable.

What must I do? I beat my wits for a way out. One glance around the room
showed me that the scoundrel's accomplices would not let him go much
further.

The weak spot in his leadership was that he did not realize the humanity
which still burned in their lost souls. But at what point would they
revolt? I could not let little Jimmie go through the pain I had
undergone.

The boy gave a sobbing cry of relief when he saw me and tried to break
away to my side. He was flung on the table just as I had been. Gallagher
looked at me imploringly while Bothwell fitted the cubes.

Neidlinger stole a step nearer. His fingers were working nervously.
Harry Fleming had turned away so as not to see what would follow.

"Mr. Sedgwick, what are they going to do with me?" the frightened little
fellow called in terror.

Bothwell took the lad's fingers in his. I opened my lips to
surrender--and closed them again. Neidlinger had drawn still another
step nearer. The big blond Scandinavian had reached his limit.

The Slav gave a slight pressure and Jimmie howled. Crouched like a
panther, Neidlinger flung himself upon his chief and bore him back to
the wall. Bothwell, past his first surprise, lashed out with a straight
left and dropped the man.

Simultaneously Gallagher closed with him, tripping Bothwell so that the
two went down hard together. Neidlinger crawled forward on hands and
knees to help his partner.

Shaking off the grip of the irresolute men holding me, I was in time to
seize George Fleming, who had run forward to a