,--of the "boss,"
again asserted itself. He made no allusion to the thing uppermost in his
mind as he spoke hurriedly, emphatically to the tense throng. When he
directed Randolph Fitts to take a few picked men with him up into the
woods to bring down the captive, there were mutterings but no move on
the part of the crowd either to anticipate or to follow the detachment.
A few terse words to Buck Chizler sent that active young man after
Fitts, the bearer of instructions. Sancho Mendez was to be brought in
alive. His guards were not to be given a chance to kill him when they
realized that the scheme had failed and he would be allowed to tell his
own story.

With the departure of Fitts and his men, Percival ordered the people to
return to their cabins. He promised them that Sancho Mendez should have
his just deserts. Slowly, reluctantly the crowd broke up and shuffled
away in small groups across the dewy Green. Manuel Crust was free to
go. The few words that passed between Landover and Percival, although
unheard by the man, sufficed to put courage back into his heart. He had
come to look upon the banker as his "pal"! And his "pal" had not failed
him!

This is what Landover said to Percival:

"Whatever may be in your mind, Percival, I want to say this to you. I
was in Manuel Crust's cabin when the thing happened. There were eight
of us there. I can point out to you the other six. I must beg you to
overlook the fact that we are not friends, and believe what I am saying.
It is the absolute truth."

"I will take your word for it, Mr. Landover," said Percival, after a
moment. "I am aware of your dealings with Crust and his crowd. I don't
know what the game is, but I do know that you have been fostering
discontent,--it may even amount to revolt,--among; these men. If you say
you were with Crust and that he was not out of your sight all evening,
I will believe you. You may be a misguided, domineering fool, Mr.
Landover, but you are honest. You have failed to appreciate what you
were stirring up,--what you were letting yourself and all the rest of us
in for, that's all."

Landover flushed. He compressed his lips for a second or two before
speaking.

"My opposition to you as a dictator, Percival, hardly warrants the
implication that I am in a sense responsible for the devilish thing that
happened last night."

"I grant you that," said Percival. "Nevertheless, it is your purpose to
down me, no matter what it costs,--isn't