s
at. If Jim had been there we should have been right, three to three. Now
we were two to three. I knew Starlight had a good card to play, and was
ready to play it, but he was waiting on the deal. Mr. Knightley must
have had some sort of notion of the hand; he was wonderful quick at
picking up the points of the game.

He said nothing, and looked as cool as you please, smoking his cigar
as if he had nothing on his mind and wanted a rest. The lady sat quite
still and pale, but her beautiful eyes kept wandering round from one to
another, like some pretty creature caught in a trap. Dr. Schiller found
it hard lines on him to keep quiet all this time--he couldn't hold it in
no longer.

'Good heafens!' he says, 'are you men, and will not say nodings when you
haf such an ovver as dis? Subbose you shood us all, what then? Will not
the whole coundry rice and hund you down like mat docks?'

'That won't make it any better for you, mate,' says Moran, with a grin.
'When you and he's lying under that old tree outside, it'll make no odds
to yer whether our rope's a long or a short 'un.'

'Quite right, Moran,' says Mr. Knightley. 'Doctor, he has you there.'

Starlight moved a step or two over towards him, as if he was uncertain
in his mind. Then he says to Wall and Hulbert--

'See here, men; you've heard what Moran says, and what I think. Which
are you going to do? To help in a brutal, cowardly murder, and never
be able to look a man in the face again, or to take this money
to-morrow?--a hundred and seventy each in notes, mind, and get away
quietly--or are you going to be led by Moran, and told what you are to
do like children?'

'Oh come, Dan, let's take the stuff,' says Wall. 'I think it's good
enough. What's the use of being contrary? I think the Captain's right.
He knows a dashed sight more than us.'

'He be hanged!' says Moran, with eyes glaring and the whole of his face
working like a man in a fit. 'He's no Captain of mine, and never was.
I'll never stir from here till I have payment in blood for Daly's life.
We may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. I've sworn to have that
man's life to-night, and have it I will.'

'You'll have ours first, you bloodthirsty, murdering dog,' says
Starlight; and, as he spoke, he slipped his revolver into Mr.
Knightley's hand, who covered Moran that moment. I drew mine, too, and
had Wall under aim. Starlight's repeating rifle was up like lightning.

Mrs. Knightley covered her eyes, th