‘Well, old fellow,’ said Kay, ‘I’ll see that you’re well supplied with everything needful, till this thing blows over. You stay out here and make yourself comfortable. If we could only get this Monteagle out of the way, all would go right. For from what Maretzo learned in the city, none of us are suspected except you, and you only because you kept Monteagle’s company. Well, if that ain’t a good ’un, I’m blowed,’ continued Belcher Kay, laughing heartily at the idea of Monteagle’s leading Blodget astray. ‘I am this Monteagle’s debtor for that blow he gave me,’ said Maretzo, and his dark eyes flashed with vindictive hate. ‘I’ll get him out of the way.’ ‘Have a care, Maretzo, that knife of yours will bring us all into trouble some of those days,’ said Blodget. ‘This time it will not be the knife, but something even surer still,’ and as he spoke, he exhibited a small bottle. ‘A drop from this vial, and his tongue will never harm us again.’ ‘Well,’ said Kay. ‘We’ll think over this matter. But just now let’s split the swag.’ And forthwith the thieves proceeded to apportion out the thirty thousand dollars equitably between them, not forgetting a share for some who were absent but who belonged to the gang, and were entitled by their rules to a share of the plunder obtained in the course of their marauding expeditions. For some days after Monteagle’s dismissal he was too unwell to leave the house, but when he was sufficiently recovered to walk the street, he was surprised to find that all his former friends and associates either passed him with a slight nod of recognition, or gave him the cut direct. He was entirely at a loss to account for their conduct. Being out of a situation was not such an unusual thing in San Francisco, as to make a man’s friends shun him. Nor could it be the fear that he might be transformed from a lender to a borrower, for no where are men more ready to assist a friend or even a stranger than in this country. Monteagle was not aware that from certain vague hints which Brown contrived to set afloat respecting the robbery that Monteagle’s name was in some manner mixed up in the affair. The very indefiniteness of the rumor being the reason of its never reaching Monteagle’s ear. So that he who was most deeply interested in it, was almost the only one in the whole city who had not heard of the accusation. Of course his sudden dismissal from Mr. Vandewater’s employ gave an appearance of truth to the story, which was more strongly confirmed by Vandewater’s declining to assign any cause for Monteagle’s dismissal when questioned on the subject. Monteagle, whose generous disposition but little fitted him for hoarding money, was now by his sudden and unexpected loss of employment thrown entirely destitute on the world.