n to dawn on him.
"I'll let folks know how you hid that coat and--and all the rest of it."

"No, you won't."

"Why won't I?"

"'Cause you won't dare to. You've been hittin' at a sick man through a
girl; neither of 'em could hit back. But now you're doin' bus'ness with
me, and I ain't sick. If you open your mouth to anybody,--if you let
a soul know who set that fire,--I'll walk straight to Jedge Baker, and
I'll tell him the whole story. I'll tell him what I did and why I did
it. And THEN I'll tell him what you did--how you bullied money out of
that girl that hadn't no more to do with the fire than a baby. If it
comes to facin' a jury I'll take my chances, but how 'bout you? You,
runnin' a town nuisance that the s'lectmen are talkin' of stoppin'
already; sellin' rum by the drink when your license says it shan't be
sold 'cept by the bottle. Where'll YOUR character land you on a charge
of blackmail?

"And another thing. The folks in this town knew John Baxter afore he was
like what he's been lately. A good many of 'em swore by him--yes,
sir, by mighty, some of 'em loved him! This is a law-abidin' town, but
s'pose--jest s'pose I should go to some of the fellers that used to sail
with him, and tell 'em what you've been up to. Think you'd stay here
long? _I_ think you'd move out--on a rail."

Captain Eri paused and sat on the arm of his chair, grimly watching his
opponent, whose turn for thinking had come. The face of the billiard
magnate was an interesting study in expression during the Captain's
speech. From excited triumph it had fallen to fear and dejection; and
now, out of the wreck, was appearing once more the oily smile, the
sugared sweetness of the every-day Mr. Saunders.

"Now, Cap'n Hedge," purred the reconstructed one, "you and me has always
been good friends. We hadn't ought to fight like this. I don't think
either of us wants to go to court. Let's see if we can't fix the thing
up some way."

"We'll fix it up when you pay me the seventy dollars."

"Now, Cap'n Hedge, 'tain't likely I've got seventy dollars in my pocket.
Seems to me you're pretty hard on a poor feller that's jest been burnt
out. I think we'd ought to--"

"How much HAVE you got?"

After a good deal of talk and protestation Mr. Saunders acknowledged
being the possessor of twenty-six dollars, divided between the cash
drawer and his pocket. This he reluctantly handed to the Captain.

Then the Captain demanded pen, ink, and paper; and when t