Pinto picked himself up, his face livid.

"You'll pay for that," he said breathlessly, but "Swell" Crewe had
walked to the girl and had laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Lollie," he said, "I'm believing you and I think the colonel is, too.
If you're going out of the country, why I'll say good luck to you.
You've made a very wise decision and one which we shall all make--some
of us perhaps too late."

"Wait a moment," said the colonel. He exchanged a glance with Selby and
the man slipped quietly from the room. "Before we do any of that
fare-thee-well stuff, I've got a few words to say to you, Lollie. I'm
with Crewe. I think it is time you went out of the country, but you're
going out my way."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Her hand clutched "Swell" Crewe's sleeve.

"You're going out my way," said the colonel, "and I swear no harm will
come to you. You're leaving to-night."

"But how?" she asked, affrighted.

"Selby will tell you. You'll meet him downstairs. Now be a sensible girl
and do as I tell you. Selby will go with you and see you safe. We made
all preparations for your departure to-night."

"What's this, colonel?" asked Crewe.

"You're out of it," said the colonel savagely. "I'm running this show
myself. If you want to join Lollie later, why you can. For the present,
she's going just where I want her to go and in the way I have planned."

He held out his hand to the girl and she took it.

"Good-bye and good luck, Lollie!" he said.

"But can't I go back to my rooms?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Do as I tell you," he said shortly.

She stood at the door and for a moment her eyes met Crewe's and he moved
toward her.

"Wait."

The colonel gripped his arm.

"Good-bye, Lollie," and the door shut on the girl.

"Let me go," said Crewe between his teeth. "If she trusts you, I don't.
This is some trick of that dirty half-breed!"

With a snarl of rage Pinto whipped his ever-ready knife from his hip
pocket and flung it. It was the colonel who drew Crewe aside, or that
moment was his last. The knife whizzed past and was buried almost to the
hilt in the wall. The colonel broke the tense silence which followed.

"Pinto," he said in his silkiest voice, "if you ever want to know what
it feels like to be a dead man, just repeat that performance, will you?"
Then his rage burst forth. "By God! I'll shoot either of you if you play
the fool in front of me again. You dirty little pickpockets that I've