They looked at each other and at Dickson; it was a pretty encounter, but they were not themselves; they were both small-sized men, moreover, and Wallingford was a strapping great fellow to tackle in a fight. There he stood, with his hack against the door, an easy mark for a bullet, and Dickson’s hand went in desperation a second time to his empty pocket. The woman, seeing this, cried that there should be no shooting, and stepping forward stood close before Wallingford; she had parted men in a quarrel many a time before, and the newcomer was a fine upstanding young gentleman, of a different sort from the rest. "You have no proof against me, anyway!" railed Dickson. He could not bear Wallingford’s eyes upon him. His Dutch courage began to ebb, and the other men took no part with him; it was nothing they saw fit to meddle with, so far as the game had gone. He still held the paper in his hand. "You have n’t a chance against us!" he now bellowed, in despair. "We are three to your one here. Take him, my boys, and tie him down! He’s worth five pounds to you, and you may have it all between ye!" At this moment there was a little stir behind the settle, and some one else stepped out before them, as if he were amused by such bungling play. "I have got proof enough myself now," said Captain Paul Jones quietly, standing there like the master of them all, "and if hanging ’s enough proof for you, Dickson, I must say you ’ve a fair chance of it. When you ’ve got such business on hand as this, let brandy alone till you ’ve got it done. The lieutenant was pardoned weeks ago; the papers wait for him in Bristol. He is safer than we are in England." Wallingford leaped toward his friend with a cry of joy; they were in each other’s arms like a pair of Frenchmen. As for Dickson, he sank to the floor like a melted candle; his legs would not hold him up; he gathered strength enough to crawl toward Wallingford and clutch him by the knees. "Oh, have pity on my sick wife and little family!" he wailed aloud there, and blubbered for mercy, till the lieutenant shook him off, and he lay, still groaning, on the flagstones. The captain had beckoned to his men, and they were within the room. "Give me my papers, Dickson, and begone," he said; "and you two fellows may get you gone, too, with your money. Stay, let me see it first!" he said. They glanced at each other in dismay. They had no choice; they had left their pistols in their holsters; the business had seemed easy, and the house so decent. They could not tell what made them so afraid of this stern commander. The whole thing was swift and irresistible; they meekly did his bidding and gave the money up. It was in a leather bag, and the captain held it with both hands and looked gravely down at Dickson. The other men stared at him, and wondered what he was going to do; but he only set the bag on the table, and poured some of the yellow gold into his hand.