assumption of
carelessness toward the casks.

My heart leaped into my mouth fit to choke me. The moment had come when
everything which we had done would be discovered, for he could not fail
to see Seth if he stepped behind the screen, or of knowing what we had
done when he looked at the contents of the casks.

It was my place, because of what we had agreed, to have leaped upon him
on the instant, trusting that the others would follow my example, and
yet so stupefied was I, whether through fear, or astonishment because
the secret could not have been kept longer, that there was no movement
on my part until Hiram Griffin, who had been sitting on the edge of the
bed, bounded forward like a cat, alighting on the shoulders of our
treacherous host and bearing him, as a matter of course, to the floor.

Job Lord was possessed of greater strength than one might have fancied
from his build, and although all three of us lads sprang on the instant
to Hiram's aid, for I recovered from my stupefaction as quickly as I had
fallen into it, he succeeded in turning Griffin completely over, gaining
a hold upon his throat in such manner as threatened to put a speedy end
to the struggling.

Hiram was not one who would lose his head at such a time, and
straightway the two floundered about, first one on top and then the
other, to such an extent that we who were anxiously striving for an
opportunity to take part in the fight failed of so doing. Meanwhile
Hiram's eyes were protruding as had Seth's, until I believed he would be
strangled to death before we could get a hold of the traitor.

Finally, and after what seemed to me a full ten minutes, I contrived to
seize Job Lord by the arm, and as I pulled at the limb Archie was able
to get a hold on his throat, thus, as can well be imagined, bringing the
fight to an end.

We lads had not done our part any too soon, for by the time Master Lord
was forced to let go his grip, Hiram appeared to be nigh unto death, and
indeed such a sorry spectacle did he present that I would have let go my
hold of Job Lord in order to give him to drink, but that he cried
hoarsely, divining what was in my mind:

"Keep him fast, lad, keep him fast! I'll get my breath in a second," and
then he struggled to his feet.

During all this time we had been fighting in silence, no one venturing
to raise his voice; but now when he saw himself helpless and at our
mercy Job Lord let out such a yell as might have been heard a