“Naw!” exclaimed Baintree, his eyes growing suddenly intent with anger. “Naw! Ef I hed knowed at the trial ez Teck Jepson war a-goin’ ter find them old clothes in the gorge, an’ make sech a power o’ a ’miration over ’em arter ward at the baptizin’, I’d hev tole whar the cave war sure enough whenst they put me on the stand. An’ Teck Jepson wouldn’t hev liked that so mighty well, I reckon, kase all the kentry knowed ez him an’ Sam’l war at loggerheads.” “Why?—what would Jepson have cared?” cried Rathburn. It was only because of the revived interest of the moment that his muscles grew tense, but his grasp had the intimation of coercion to Baintree, who instantly responded, with a nod of the head,— “Kase the cave’s on his land—in Teck Jepson’s woods. That’s why! An’ folks war powerful worked up an’ excited then, an’ mought hev s’picioned him.” Rathburn’s hands fell from Baintree’s throat to his shoulders. “Jake,” he said, amazed, his voice bated with uncertainty and excitement, “why did you never tell this before, if you had no hand in Keale’s death?” “What did I want ter tell fur? How’d I know what ter tell an’ what not ter tell? Nobody knowed how nuthin’ would strike the jury—not even the lawyer. An’ I ’lowed ef they fund Sam’l thar,”—he shivered a little at the suggestion,—“he’d hev looked turrible, mebbe, an’ hev hed his bones bruk—an’ that would hev made it all go harsher at the trial. Ev’rybody knowed he had been consortin’ with me, a-sarchin’ fur silver, an’ war seen las’ along o’ me. So I jes’ purtended I couldn’t find the spot agin, an’ the steps ez led ter the cave; it hed rained mo’, an’ the groun’ war washed up cornsider’ble. An’ they all ’lowed ’twar up in the gorge whar them clothes war fund. Whyn’t I tell, an’ whyn’t I tell?” he reiterated. “I be sorry now I hev tole what I hev tole.” He cast his anxious eyes absently about the room with a harried, hunted look. Evidently the disclosure he had made was of paramount importance to him, and precluded for the moment consideration or realization of the coercion which had elicited it. “That’s of no importance—you couldn’t be tried again for the same offense,” said Rathburn reassuringly. “Waal—_that_ rule don’t hold good in Jedge Lynch’s court,” returned Baintree gloomily. Rathburn walked away a few steps with his hands in his pockets. It was difficult to assume a casual air after the episode of the evening, but his efforts were aided by Baintree’s fixed attention upon the engrossing subject of Keale’s disappearance rather than his recent injuries. He stopped short suddenly. “Thought you and he were scuffling and playing when he fell into the chasm?” He looked at Baintree with a revival of suspicion.