l--blackmail, Tom! Don't forgit the
word. An' it's fifty year in the pen with fishhooks in yoh tongue."

"Shet up!" Tom cried again. "What you mean? They're after me?"

He failed to see that his informer was in a dripping perspiration and
hardly able to stand from fright. He saw nothing beyond a dawning fear
that he had gone too far.

"You mean they're already started, or talkin' 'bout startin'?" he asked
again.

"Don't ask me no moh," Tusk wailed. "It ain't decent to speak of! An',
oh, my Gawd, I'm a goner if you don't git this hammered inter you good
an' strong. I'd better do it now!"

Thereupon he made a grab for the luckless Hewlet, who eluded the iron
hands in the nick of time and retreated toward the house.

"Go home, Tusk," he warned. "You're drunk tonight. I'll be at yoh cabin
in the mawnin'." And, with this parting promise, he went in.

Tusk was even about to follow, having no intention of incurring the
devil's displeasure; but Brent spoke softly from his hiding place and
his satellite obediently returned.

"You've done very well, this time," the pseudo Mephisto whispered.
"Don't tackle him again till I say. Now go home." And to emphasize this
he put his teeth over the end of the little torch and flashed it. Again
Tusk sprang away with a snarl of fear, and Brent croaked in a sepulchral
voice: "Nothing'll hurt you as long as you obey me, Mr. Faust. Now beat
it!"

The terrified man did this willingly enough and when he had been
swallowed into the night Brent, stepping around the bush, confronted
Nancy.

"I didn't know you were heah when I came," she explained, with a shade
of uneasiness in her voice and embarrassment in her eyes.

"You heard everything, didn't you," he said regretfully. "I might have
spared you this."

"You needn't of," she replied. "Pappy came in boastin' of what Tusk was
goin' to do for him, so I slipped out to listen. But I tried to stop
him, honest I did; an' I'm awful sorry any of my people 'd treat you
that a-way!"

"Great God," he said in a husky voice, taking her hands, "how can you
feel sorry when I was all to blame!"

"Oh, Brent," she looked away, "we mustn't ever speak of that!" She had
withdrawn her hands and now stood somewhat apart, glancing toward the
house and contemplating a dash for it. He read this.

"Not yet," he said. "You can't go in yet, for I want to talk to you--I
want to be honest with you. Come!"

As though drawn by some invisible force she followed