ary for Percival to call for order
when he appeared on the steps and began to speak. The only sounds were
the shuffling of feet, the rustling of garments, the deep, restrained
breathing of the mass.

He spoke partly in English and partly in Spanish, and he was brief.

"You know what we are here for and what is ahead of us. I don't have to
tell you the story of last night. You know it as well as I. You will be
glad to hear the latest word from Dr. Cullen. Philippa is conscious. He
thinks she will recover. She is having the best of care and attention. I
will explain why we are all here now. The first thing for us to do is to
count noses. We will go about it as rapidly as possible. After that, we
will get down to business. Mr. Landover and Mr. Malone will check off
the name of every man, woman and child. As your names are called, come
forward, answer, and then move over beyond the corner of the building.
We've got to find out just who is missing,--if any one is missing at
all."

He raised his voice. "I want you all to keep cool. Don't forget that we
are after the men who committed this crime. We have no right to say that
Manuel Crust or any of his crowd did this thing until we have positive
proof of the fact. It may not have been any of Manuel's gang, don't
forget that, people. We must make no mistakes. I am saying this to you
now because I see Manuel Crust and some of his friends standing over
there at the edge of the clearing. Stop! Don't make a move in their
direction. We've all had time to think,--we've all had time to get
ourselves in hand. There is a right and a wrong way to handle this
thing,--and we've got to be sure we're right. The guilty cannot escape.
They haven't a chance, and you know it. So, let's be sure,--let's be
dead sure before we accuse any man. We have no right to charge Manuel's
gang with this crime. The guilty men may be here among us,--absolutely
unsuspected. Chizler! You and Soapy Shay go over and tell those men that
we are taking a count of all the people in this camp. Tell them to come
and answer to their names. They will be safe."

The count was never completed. Manuel Crust did not wait for his name
to be called. He pushed his way through the crowd, leaving his followers
behind. Advancing to the foot of the steps he cried out hoarsely to
Percival:

"If you want your men, I--I, Manuel Crust, will lead you to one of them.
He is up there in the wood. Three men are guarding him. He is Sancho