Bayard stood so still--with the composure of a man not without athletic training, determined to waste no strength in useless struggle--that Trawl instinctively loosened his clutch. Was the minister strangling? This was not Ben’s immediate purpose. His fingers relaxed. “Ah,” said Bayard quietly, “so you are Jack Haddock.” “I wrote that note. You might have known it if you hadn’t been a ---- fool.” “I might have known it--yes; I see. But I took you for a decent fellow. I couldn’t be expected to suspect you were--what you are. Well, Mr. Trawl, perhaps you will explain your business with me in some less uncomfortable manner.” He shook Ben off with a strong thrust, and folded his arms. “Come,” he said. “Out with it!” “My game’s up,” replied Ben between his teeth. “I can’t do what I set out to, now. There’s too many witnesses in the case.” “You meant to push me off Ragged Rock, perhaps?” asked Bayard quietly. “I hadn’t thought of that. But I see--it would not have been difficult. A man can be taken unawares in the dark, and as you say, there would have been no witnesses.” “You come home too soon,” growled Ben. “I counted on getting away and bein’ here to welcome you, and nobody the wiser; d---- them two women! I supposed you’d stay awhile with your girl. A man would, in our kind of folks. Lord! you don’t seem to belong to _any_ kind of folks that I can see. I don’t know what to make of you. ---- you! ---- you! ---- you! I’d like to see you go yellin’ and bub--ble--in’ down to your drownin’! I’m heavier’n you be, come to the tug. I could do it now, inside of ten minutes.” “And hang for it in ten months,” observed Bayard, smiling. “I could get a dozen men to swear to an alibi!” cried Trawl. “You ain’t so popular in this town as to make that a hard job. You’ve got the whole liquor interest ag’in’ you. Lord! the churches would back ’em, too, that’s the joke of it!” He laughed savagely. Bayard made no reply. He had winced in the dark at the words. They were worse than the grip at his throat. “When you get ready, Ben, suppose you explain what you have against me?” he suggested, after an uncomfortable pause. “You’ve took my girl!” roared Ben. “Your girl? _Your_ girl?” Bayard gasped, from the sheer intellectual shock of the idea. “You’ve made love to her, behind my back! You’ve turned her head! She ain’t no eyes left in her for anybody but you, ---- you! And I’ve ben keepin’ company with her for four years. You’ve got my girl away from me, and you’d oughter drown for it. Drownin’ ’s too good for you!” “Look here, Ben,” said Bayard. “Are you drunk?” “We don’t drink--me, nor my father. And you know it. We ain’t such ---- fools!”