“I wouldn’t know where to begin, Brudder Pierson,” said Dopey, grinning with delight as he saw Muriel wince at the coarse vulgarity. “Scoff and rail, you two, but the day is not far distant when you both will look death in the face! Then your ribald lips will stiffen in fear, your eyes start out in horror, and you will cry aloud in vain for pardon to the God you despised in life! I seem to see you now, both strung up by the neck to the dead branch of a tree that has borne such carrion before and both go swinging around in the wind! That will be your end, and it will come soon, I feel it and know it. John Pierson, if there is one single spark of manhood left in you, spare this poor girl, and let me take her back to the hotel and leave her there. I will go alone with her, and you and Dopey can go where you like. No one shall pursue or harm you.” “A very pretty fairy-story. It does you credit. But, in the language of the Philistines about here, not much! She has cost me too much to give her up so easily. So save your breath to cool your coffee.” “Say, cull, what will de gal do when she has to eat bacon?” “Oh, she’ll eat it all right--if she must--and she doesn’t know what she is eating, anyhow. Don’t bother me with trifles.” “Please, lady, please,” began Dora, and Muriel asked her what she wanted. “Can’t I go to bed? I am so tired. So very tired. I never used to be tired at home--I cooked and kept it all so nice and clean.” “There! You see what I told you,” said John to Muriel, “she is beginning to remember!” “No wonder, poor child! that you are tired after this last week of travel and hardships. Yes, dear, we will rest awhile. Here is a nice, soft bed. Lie down and I will cover you. John, you and Dopey can sleep outside, as you have been doing all last week. There is not room enough in here. Come, dear, lie down.” With a bad grace, John and Dopey left the shack and laid themselves down beneath the stars to sleep, but both against the door, so neither of the prisoners could escape. John had sent the Parthian shot after Muriel as he called through the door to advise her to “go to the devil, for all he cared.” “When I leave you, John Pierson, I shall be going away from him as fast as I can. Understand that.” “Say, boss, there’ll be something doing and dat pretty quick. Dat woman’s on her ear, and when wimmen gets on deir ears dey’s allus something doing. You’d better be on de lookout for her. She looks like dem she-tigers I seen in de circus once. De he-ones took t’ings easy-like, but de she-ones was allus on de lookout for a chance. An’ she is looking for her chance.” “I know her like a book, Dopey, and she will get no mercy from me if she tries any monkey business. Yes, you are right. I don’t know why I have been such a tender-hearted idiot. I’ve had a couple of chances to kill them both, and wasted them. Self-defence is the first law of nature and our only safe way is to finish them both now, and be done with it!”