nd has it struck you that your body may be hard to dispose of?
Or that, if found, it may cause me some inconvenience?"

"There's a quag on t'other side o' the Castle[1] here. I han't time to
go round an' point it out; but 'tis to be known by bein' greener than
the rest o' the turf. What's thrown in there niver comes up, an' no man
can dig for it. The folks'll give the press-gang the credit when I'm
missin'--"

"You forget the mare and cart."

"Lead her back to the road, turn her face to home, an' fetch her a cut
across th' ears. She always bolts if you touch her ears."

"And you really wish to die?"

"Oh, my God!" Zeb broke out; "would I be standin' here if I didn'?"

The stranger rose to his feet, and drew out his pistols slowly.

"It's a thousand pities," he said; "for I never saw a man develop
character so fast."

He cocked the triggers, and handed the pistols to Zeb, to take his
choice.

"Stand where you are, while I step out fifteen paces." He walked slowly
along the fosse, and, at the end of that distance, faced about.
"Shall I give the word?"

Zeb nodded, watching him sullenly.

"Very well. I shall count three slowly, and after that we can fire as
we please. Are you ready?--stand a bit sideways. Your chest is a
pretty broad target--that's right; I'm going to count.
_One--two--three--_"

The word was hardly spoken before one of the pistols rang out. It was
Zeb's; and Heaven knows whither his bullet flew. The smoke cleared away
in a blue, filmy streak, and revealed his enemy standing where he stood
before, with his pistol up, and a quiet smile on his face.

Still holding the pistol up, the stranger now advanced deliberately
until he came to a halt about two paces from Zeb, who, with white face
and set jaw, waited for the end. The eyes of the two men met, and
neither flinched.

"Strip," commanded the stranger. "Strip--take off that jersey."

"Why not kill me without ado? Man, isn't this cruel?"

"Strip, I say."

Zeb stared at him for half a minute, like a man in a trance; and began
to pull the jersey off.

"Now your shirt. Strip--till you are naked as a babe."

Zeb obeyed. The other laid his pistol down on the turf, and also
proceeded to undress, until the two men stood face to face, stark naked.

"We were thus, or nearly thus, a month ago, when you gave me my life.
Does it strike you that, barring our faces, we might be twin brothers?
Now, get into my clothes, and toss me ov