ping himself; but the danger of what he meant to
do, and to do quickly, kept him from undue exuberance.

The elder Malatesta brought one other fellow, evidently an American, to
take a squint at Gus. Gus called the Italian over:

"How many of you got here, hey? I don't want t' shoot one of----"

"Not any more; three of us; you four."

"What is all this fuss fer?" asked Gus.

The fellow seemed to ponder a moment. "I tell you," he said, as though
with sudden conviction. "In the hut yonder is crazy man. Our brother,
yes. We love heem, ver' much. But he malsano--insane--lika fury.
And we disgrazia. But he not go to a silo--hospital and treat bad.
Oh, no! We swear it! They want getta heem. We hid heem and give heem
treatment--medicine, lika say great doctore. Doctore come two
day--more tardo. We guard brother ver' fierce--fight--fight! No let
go--no let policeaman come. See?"

Gus nodded slowly. It was a well-told yarn, a plausible lie. In a good
cause could he not take a turn at that?

"By cracky, you're dead right t' make 'em mind their own bizness! It's
your bizness, ain't it? I'd serve 'em that-away, too. I'll bluff 'em,
an' shoot, too, if I got t'. Where's these other two standin'?"

The man indicated a spot to the left, another beyond the cabin, and his
own position toward the beach. They probably stood on sentry duty most
of the time. Gus was given the most dangerous place, the one most likely
to be the way of approach. Well, he'd better act, and quickly, if he
didn't want the officers of the law to step in ahead and spoil his own
plans.

Gus waited until he felt sure the men had taken their places again. Then
he contrived a neat bit of strategy that was almost too simple. He meant
to get a peep in yonder building, or hut, as the elder Malatesta had
called it, and he meant to do this at once. Rapidly and silently he
sneaked through the woods until he stood close behind the American
gunman who sat drowsily on a log, his gun across his knees.

"Say, bo, get next. They's a couple o' men sneakin' through the woods
round beyon' you. They ain't comin' my way. Lay low an' watch 'em." The
man crouched.

Gus crept back and then out toward the beach where, by sheer good luck,
he came across both Malatesta brothers talking. When they were still at
a little distance from him he told them the same story and instantly the
elder was on his guard while the younger brother left, crouching as he
progressed toward his statio