too late now for such questions," said Landless steadily. "You
must accept the conspiracy as it is. In liberating themselves, these men
will of necessity free you even as they will free me, who am not, as you
know, of their class. I shall take my chance, as I think you will take
yours."

The mulatto played with a tobacco peg, striking it against his great,
white teeth. At length he said slowly and with a sinister upward glance
at the figure by the door, "Certainly, Senor Landless, it seems our
best, our only chance, for freedom."

And with this Landless had perforce to be content. He turned to the
murderer, saying sternly, "Now for my word with you. I hold your life in
my hands, for I heard you last night in the marsh, and Porringer and I
saw you stealing from the creek this morning, and I can swear that you
knew of the gold hidden in the hut. You have it on you at this moment. I
could hold you here with this pistol until the overseer should come and
search you. But I let you go, choosing rather your safety than the
endangerment of that which was dearer than life to the man you murdered.
The unsupported assertion of a murderer as to the contents of papers
which he had not got to show, might not go for much, but I prefer that
you should not make it. I have warned you;--you had best make your
escape at once."

"If you hold your tongue, there's no reason why I should run."

"Oh, yes, there is! There is a reason in the hut on the marsh."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that clasped in the hand of the man you murdered is the missing
half of that torn lock upon your forehead."

With a yell Roach sprang to the door only to be confronted by the muzzle
of Landless' pistol.

"Wait a moment," he said composedly. "Oh, you need not be afraid! I
intend to let you go. But you don't leave this tobacco house until after
I have left it myself."

"Curse you!" cried the other, foaming at the lips.

"You are ungrateful. I not only promise not to witness against you, but
I aid you to escape."

"For reasons of your own," suggested Trail.

"Precisely; for reasons of my own. If you are taken, I will hold my
tongue just so long as you hold yours. If you escape now, I will pray
that my day of reckoning will yet come. And it will be a heavy
reckoning."

"Ay, that it will!" cried the murderer with brutal fury. "You've got the
upper hand now; but wait! Every dog has his day, and I'll have mine! and
when it comes, I'll do for you! I'll