And with this Landless had perforce to be content. He turned to the murderer, saying sternly, "Now for my word with you. I hold your life in my hands, for I heard you last night in the marsh, and Porringer and I saw you stealing from the creek this morning, and I can swear that you knew of the gold hidden in the hut. You have it on you at this moment. I could hold you here with this pistol until the overseer should come and search you. But I let you go, choosing rather your safety than the endangerment of that which was dearer than life to the man you murdered. The unsupported assertion of a murderer as to the contents of papers which he had not got to show, might not go for much, but I prefer that you should not make it. I have warned you;—you had best make your escape at once." "If you hold your tongue, there ’s no reason why I should run." "Oh, yes, there is! There is a reason in the hut on the marsh." "What do you mean?" "I mean that clasped in the hand of the man you murdered is the missing half of that torn lock upon your forehead." With a yell Roach sprang to the door only to be confronted by the muzzle of Landless’ pistol. "Wait a moment," he said composedly. "Oh, you need not be afraid! I intend to let you go. But you don’t leave this tobacco house until after I have left it myself." "Curse you!" cried the other, foaming at the lips. "You are ungrateful. I not only promise not to witness against you, but I aid you to escape." "For reasons of your own," suggested Trail. "Precisely: for reasons of my own. If you are taken, I will hold my tongue just so long as you hold yours. If you escape now, I will pray that my day of reckoning will yet come. And it will be a heavy reckoning." "Ay, that it will!" cried the murderer with brutal fury. "You ’ve got the upper hand now: but wait! Every dog has his day, and I ’ll have mine! and when it comes, I ’ll do for you! I ’ll smash your beauty! I ’ll draw more blood from you than ever the whip of the overseer did! I ’ll use you worse than I used that old man last night, who writhed and struggled, and tried to pray! I ’ll—" With white lips and blazing eyes Landless sprang forward, and clapped the mouth of the pistol to the ruffian’s temple. Roach recoiled, then sunk upon his knees with an abject whine for mercy. Landless let his hand drop, and moved slowly back to the door. "You had need to cry for mercy," he said in a low, distinct voice, "for you were never so near to death before. I let you go now, but one day I shall kill you. Until which day—take care of yourself!" Still with his face upon them he passed out of the door, then turned and walked away with a steady step, but with a heart bleeding for the loss of his friend, and heavy with forebodings for the future.