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malignant, terrifying Bethune, as he sat regarding her with his sneering smile. The girl's first impulse was to turn and fly, but as if divining her thoughts, the man pushed nearer, and she saw that his eyes gleamed horribly between lids drawn to slits. Had he discovered that she had tricked him with a false claim? If not why the glare of hate and the sneering smile that told plainer than words that he had her completely in his power, and knew it. "So, my fine lady--we meet again! We have much to talk about--you and I. But, first, about the claim. You thought you were very wise with your lying about not having a map. You thought to save the whole loaf for yourself--you thought I was fool enough to believe you. If you had let me in, you would have had half--now you have nothing. The claim is all staked and filed, and the adjoining claims for a mile are staked with the stakes of my friends--and you have nothing! You were the fool! You couldn't have won against me. Failing in my story of partnership with your father, I had intended to marry you, and failing in that, I should have taken the map by force--for I knew you carried it with you. But I dislike violence when the end may be gained by other means, so I waited until, at last, happened the thing I knew would happen--you became careless. You left your precious map and photograph in plain sight upon your little table--and now you have nothing." So he had not discovered the deception, but, through accident or design, had seized this opportunity to gloat over her, and taunt her with her loss. His carefully assumed mask of suave courtliness had disappeared, and Patty realized that at last she was face to face with the real Bethune, a creature so degenerate that he boasted openly of having stolen her secret, as though the fact redounded greatly to his credit. A sudden rage seized her. She touched her horse with the spur: "Let me pass!" she demanded, her lips white. The man's answer was a sneering laugh, as he blocked her way: "Ho! not so fast, my pretty! How about the Samuelson horse raid--your part in it? Three of my best men are in hell because you tipped off that raid to Vil Holland! How you found it out I do not know--but women, of a certain kind, can find out anything from men. No doubt Clen, in some sweet secret meeting place, poured the story into your ear, although he denies it on his life." "What do you mean?" "Ha! Ha! Injured innocence!" He leered knowi
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