she is dangerous to me. But is that the crime for
which you transport her for life?" smiled the other. His shot came
so close that his companion raised a hand.

"I don't deny, don't explain, don't argue," he retorted curtly. "I
only say that I shall be willing to part with her services and turn
her over to your own care, if you _both_ so like. We know she has
appealed to you for aid. My own errand, if you please, is near to
its close. It has been--"

"Cut the cards, man!" cried the Missourian. It was lucky that he
interrupted. He was just in time to prevent the other from making
the mistake of saying what was the truth--that he was in any case
about to leave the young lady to her own devices, and by her own
request. The game which he most valued now was not on the table
before him. He was playing it in his own mind. In short, duty or
no duty, he was resolved to end the role of jailer and prisoner,
for sake of the prisoner herself. Let others attempt the
unpleasant task if they liked. Let others condemn if they liked.
He, Carlisle, could be jailer no longer. Yet he deliberated well
the risk he ran.

"It would be ruin to me if this were known, Senator Dunwody, and of
that you are perfectly aware."'

"I know that as well as you, but there can be honor even in
politics, war, or--love. I have given you my word. Deal!"

"You are impatient. You rejoice as a strong man to run a race, my
dear sir."

"I _do_ run a race. I _am_ strong. Play! It is in the cards that
I must win."

"But if you should lose?"

"I shall not lose!"

His insistence, his confidence, almost caused the older man to
laugh. "No, my friend," said he to himself, "you shall not lose!"
But what he said aloud was, "You must not be excited, Dunwody. You
may need all your nerve. I thought you cooler in times of stress."

"You don't know me. I don't know myself. Perhaps it is ice in
your blood--I don't know,--it's fire in mine."

"Very well,--I hope you like the cards I have given you." But
there was no ice in the red flush on Carlisle's sanguine face,

"Give me four more," cried the Missourian, flinging down his own
cards with hands that trembled.

"Quite right, sir, you shall have them. But how you tremble! I
wouldn't have so poor a nerve as yours for all the money in the
world, my dear Senator. You act as though there were four hundred
acres of niggers at stake, as Mr. Jones would say!"

"Go on! You don't know what t