“All right,” said Connor. “That's an agreement. Now I'm going to take a nap. This current's taking us down fast enough. When you sight Tom's outfit, wake me up.” With which he curled up in the bow, and soon was snoring. The Kid stowed his own oar, and crept to the girl's side. “Careful!” she whispered. “If he should wake up....” She extricated herself from an encircling arm. “Jim--sit still now!--It's time you and I had an understanding. I need you, and I'm going to use you. I don't propose to have you all steamed up, either. You'll need all the nerve you've got. Perhaps more. I'm not at all sure that you're big enough for what you've got to do. That's the difficulty.” “You promised, Dixie.” He was still absurdly breathless. “You said it was a trade--if I'd stick to you, you'd stick to me!” “Certainly. But it's during the next eight or ten hours that you're going to find out what sticking to me, means. You can have me, all right, Jim, but you've got to earn me.” “I guess I'll earn you, all right.” “I wonder if you have the courage.” “By God, for you, Dixie--” Her hand fell lightly on his; and her voice, very small and calm, broke in with: “Supposing I told you to kill a man. Would you do it?” She heard, felt, his breath stop. Then he whispered, with one swift glance at the sleeping Connor: “If I say yes, Dixie, will you kiss me? Right now?” She pressed her lips slightly; then replied: “No. Not yet. And you needn't kill anybody until I tell you to.” “Is it--is it”--his whisper was huskier--“is it--him, Dixie?” He was staring with less certainty now, at Connor. “No”--said she slowly--“nobody in particular. But anything may happen to-night, Jim. And we can't falter. Not now.” She let him press her hand during a brief moment; then made him resume his seat. And from behind lowered lids she watched him. Once he came back, to ask hoarsely: “You said he was rough with you, Dix. Did he--did you and he--my God, if I thought that Tex had--” She caught his shoulder and placed a hand over his mouth: held him thus while she said: “If he catches you back here, Jim, he'll kill you. No fear! Now you go back there and show me that you can play cards. You're sitting in the biggest game of your life. Jim Watson.” He crept back; puzzled, something hurt. There was a sting in her voice. Could it be that the girlish Dixie was as cold-blooded as that? Treating him like a child! Hadn't she any feelings? The question came around and around in his muddy brain, confused with frantic uprushes of jealousy against the big man who slept and snored in the bow.... hadn't she any feelings?.... She was excitingly desirable. Just as a conquest, now; something to brag about. It was Dixie who sighted the soldiers, sitting in heated argument on the bank not a hundred yards below a big junk that lay moored to stakes in an eddy. She called sharply to Connor; they pulled straight in beside the other two boats.