The following morning found Kent in Standing Rock closeted with Gallup. Kent was a nervous wreck. Molly had refused to speak to him; his men were sullen, aloof; Tobias had been back about the notes, and to top it all the specter of Johnny Dice walked beside him wherever he went. “You been seein’ ghosts, too?” Aaron asked. “You know, then, eh?” old Jackson answered miserably. “I saw him as plain as I’m seein’ you, Gallup. The girl did, too. I’ll never forget how it moaned. I used to laugh at men who believed in haunts.” Kent shook his head. “I’m past doin’ that now. When did you see it?” “Last night. It was here—but it ain’t no haunt. It’s Dice himself! I found footprints beneath the window this mornin’. Let him come ag’in. I won’t miss him a second time.” “You mean he’s alive—that he ain’t killed?” “You’ve got it! I knew you couldn’t figger him dead unless you’d seen his body put in the ground. He’s fooled us all, even the Basque. Madeiras was here last night threatenin’ me. Told me he’d put me in Carson Penitentiary if I tried to marry Molly.” “I was hopin’ you’d change your mind about that, Gallup. The girl’s half mad.” “Well, you weren’t able to do anythin’ for Tobias yesterday. I’ll wait ’till day after tomorrow. You pay the money or I take the girl. She ain’t got no use for you, nohow. A man’s got to have a little backbone if he wants to keep his head up with wimmen. As soon as she pulled Traynor’s name on you, you wilted. I don’t know how much Dice knows, but it’s too much. Madeiras is makin’ big talk, too. The damn bosco stole that old Moqui charm of mine. He knew who had it, too.” “What?” Kent’s mouth twitched. He shook his fist in Gallup’s face. “How’d he know that?” he cried. “That scares you, does it? Let him prove what he——” Gallup stopped short, his eyes on the door to the adjoining room. He had seen it move! He knew that he had closed it when Kent came in. Pushing his visitor out of the way, Aaron made a leap for the door and threw it open. Tobias was caught flat-footed. Gallup grabbed the man by his coat and dragged him into the room. “Eavesdroppin’, eh?” Aaron screamed. “I’ll teach you to spy on me. You’re through—fired! You ain’t got a cent but what you got from me. You pussyfootin’ swine, what were you hopin’ to hear! Take _that_!” Tobias Gale fairly bristled as he got up from the floor. So wrathful was he that his little body trembled from head to foot. For years he had suppressed his emotions, bridled his desires, made a machine of himself. Gallup marveled as he gazed at him now. “Let us be honest for once, Aaron Gallup,” Tobias said with fine impudence. “When the pot calls the kettle black it’s time to tell the truth. What I’ve got is mine. I earned it doing your dirty bidding. “You’ll not kick me out. I’ve protected myself. Indeed I have. You’ll find that out when you try to call in some of your loans. Humph! A swine am I, eh? You are the swine, Aaron Gallup.