“No, you can't. But if you could fix things so Roche nor nobody could get her, and still you'd be free to go back to Madge, you wouldn't object, would you?” “Why, no--sure not. How do you mean?” “If you find her there at the house, or in the barn, or anywhere around, you'd better just--here, your knife ain't much good. Take mine.” He opened his clasp knife--the blade was five inches long--and held it out. McGlory took it, stood still in his tracks looking at it, and then raised his eyes to the face of his companion. “Well--have you got the nerve?” “Have I got the nerve!” McGlory laughed out loud, and thrust the open knife into his belt, at the side, under his coat. “I wouldn't use a gun unless I had to.” He paused, laid his hand on McGlory's arm, and dropped his voice. “Look there! There's a light in the window.” McGlory swelled with rage. “I 'll put a stop to this!” “Hold on a minute, Joe. I 'll slip around the bank of the creek here, the other side of the barn, so I can watch the road and the barn both.” He ran silently away, dodging among the trees, and in a moment had disappeared. While McGlory was standing there, breathing hard and twitching impatiently, he passed behind the barn-yard, keeping always among the trees of the bank, and on to the bridge. Here he looked carefully around, then stooped under the beams of the bridge flooring and got into a scow that lay there. McGlory stood still as long as he could, then, throwing, the reins to his temper, he strode toward the house. CHAPTER XII--THE MEETING [Illustration: 0332] IT was between eleven o'clock and midnight when McGlory and his companion returned to Van Deelen's; it was between ten and eleven of this same Thursday night when Axel Lindquist was taken sick on the road, not a long walk from his father's house. In less than an hour Beveridge and his companions reached a turn in the road and found themselves at the top of the slope,--it was hardly a hill,--with Van Deelen's bridge a little way below them, and the farm-yard beyond. Beveridge extinguished the lantern. “Look there!” Wilson exclaimed. “Where?” “At the house yonder. Don't you see there's a light burning?” “That's a fact. We 'll move a little quietly, boys. Bert, you step around between the house and the barn and keep an eye on the back door. Harper will be with you.” They started down toward the bridge while Beveridge was speaking. When they had crossed over, Harper stopped. “Can you wait just a minute? I've got a stone in my shoe.” “We 'll go ahead. Come on as soon as you can and join Bert out by the barn.” And the three passed on, leaving Pink on a log at the roadside.