Side by side they walked toward the rustic seat, which stood near another cluster of shrubbery. Barely had they seated themselves there when forth from the same cedars near the spot where they had met crept a form resembling a huge dog, but which was in truth a human being on hands and knees. Slowly and silently this figure moved across the open space, once or twice stopping and lying flat on his stomach as he fancied one of the men had turned in his direction. At last he reached the shelter of the shrubbery not far from the bench. There he remained crouching and listening. “Why didn’t you keep your word and send the money?” Grimes was saying. “I had your promise.” “But I didn’t have the money to send,” declared Hammerswell. “I told you once before that this baseball business has put me on the rocks. I am down to the bottom of my pile now. You were crazy enough to demand an exorbitant sum.” “Only a thousand dollars.” “Only a thousand!” snapped Benton. “Yes; that was the price you promised Hop Sullivan to close his mouth.” “But I didn’t pay it. I closed it in another way.” “That’s right,” said Grimes, “and I saw you do it. I was there on High Bluff at midnight when you met Sullivan. I saw yer give him a package containing nothing but strips of brown paper. Then, while he was tearing it open, I saw yer shift your position so that he stood between you and the edge of the bluff. Jest as he ripped the package open and found it didn’t contain a dollar you jumped on him and pushed him over into the river. You knew he couldn’t swim. The river runs swift there, and the falls is close below. He went over, and of course he was drowned. Have they ever found his body?” Twice Hammerswell had attempted to check his companion, and now he burst forth into a volley of low-spoken curses. “No need of talking to me of that!” he snarled. “Yes, they found Sullivan’s body two days ago. He’s buried, and his tongue is silenced forever.” “But mine ain’t,” reminded Grimes. “It’ll take money ter close me up. I knew you wouldn’t like much ter see me arrested if I came back here. I might be sent to the jug for my doings, but you’d git a life term, if yer neck wasn’t stretched. It ain’t healthy for no man ter fool with me the way you have.” “Now look here,” said Hammerswell, facing his companion on the bench, “it’s best that you should know the absolute truth. I can’t pay you that money because I haven’t got it. All my money is gone, with the exception of what I’ve bet on the final game to be played to-morrow. Even if I win I can’t give you a thousand. Five hundred would be the limit. I must win, and I believe I shall. I have risked everything on the result. We play two games in Fairhaven.” “How does this baseball business stand?” asked Grimes. “You oughter be on top after all your schemes and plans. I suppose you are.”