"I suppose he could shoot a man--with sufficient provocation," she said coolly. "Any man could I suppose ... But not like that. Not in the back!" Pendleton flung up his hands. "Isn't that like a woman! Just because he has fine eyes I suppose, and a taking smile!" It never reached Pen who was busy with her own thoughts. She knew in her heart without reason, without arguments that the charge was false, but she was searching for reasons that would convince a man. Her instinct led her unerringly to the weak spots of the case against Counsell. "Why should he leave his pistol behind to convict him?" she asked. "Why should he introduce himself to us under his right name?" Pendleton waved this impatiently aside. "Oh, they always make some slips. That's how they're caught. From the first I felt there was something funny about him." "It was you who first asked him to stay," said Pen indignantly. "Yes. But I didn't expect the house to be turned upside down to entertain him," he retorted. "Something funny about him, skulking down the Bay like that. You remember how he said he preferred to be alone." "There's nothing criminal in that!" "I don't know. Very strange he should slink out of the house without saying good-night to me. Perhaps he saw me reading the paper." Pen all but wrung her hands. This was men's boasted logic. How could an intelligent person cope with it? The little man got up with an important air. "Don't act in haste, Dad," Pen pleaded earnestly. "Something tells me you will regret it. At least sleep on it!" "He will be gone in the morning," Pendleton said. A look of dismay appeared in his face. "Good Heavens! If he suspects anything he will push off at once!" "Would you be sorry?" Pen asked astonished. Pendleton was momentarily disconcerted. "Well no ... of course not. But I must do my duty just the same ... This is an important case. I must act with prudence. The eyes of the world will be upon us now." "Oh, the newspapers!" cried Pen. "They poison our lives!" Pendleton was already at the door of the room. "Are you going to take him single-handed?" queried Pen. He hesitated, puffing a little bit to conceal his discomposure. "The negroes..." he hazarded. "Ellick and Theodo'!" said Pen with curling lip. Pendleton rubbed his bald crown. "You're right," he said. "Worse than useless. I'll go to the lighthouse for Weems Locket and his assistant." "You'll have to pass the tent on the beach." "I'll row around in my skiff," said Pendleton craftily. "With muffled oars?" she asked scornfully. "Why yes," he said innocently. He was impervious to her scorn. "Dad, you _must_ listen to me!" she cried. "This is man's work," he said, swelling up. "You must leave it to me."