"But she's the one that did it. She told me--when she first got sick. Those are her things in there. They're--" "Have I asked you about anything?" Houston bit the words at him. Again the man was silent. They reached the sled, and Ba'tiste pointed to the seat. "In there," he ordered. "Ba'teese will walk. Ba'teese afraid--too close." And then, in silence, the trip to town was made, at last to draw up in front of the boarding house. Houston called to a bystander. "Is the 'phone working--to Montview?" "Yeh. Think it is. Got it opened up yesterday." "Then call up over there and tell the sheriff we want him. It has to do with the Renaud murder." The loafer sprang to the street and veered across, shouting the news as he went, while Ba'tiste made hurried arrangements regarding the silent form of the lonely cabin. A few moments later, the makeshift boarding-house lobby was crowded, while Barry Houston, reverting to the bitter lessons he had learned during the days of his own cross-examinations, took his place in front of the accused man. "In the first place, Thayer," he commanded. "You might as well know one thing. You're caught. The goods are on you. You're going up if for nothing else than an attempt to murder Ba'tiste Renaud and myself." "I--I thought you were robbers." "You know that's a lie. But that's a matter for the court room. There are greater things. In the first place--" "About that other--" Still he clung to his one shred of a story, his only possibility of hope. Conscience had prompted the first outcry; now there was nothing to do but follow the lead. "I don't know anything. She told me--that's all. And she's dead now." "Ah, _oui_!" Ba'tiste had edged forward. "She is dead. And because she is dead--because she have suffer and die, you would lay to her door murder! Eet is the lie! Where then is the ten thousand dollar she took--if she kill my Julienne? Eh? Where is the gun with which she shot her? Ah, you cringe! For why you do that--for why do you not look at Ba'teese when he talk about his Julienne! Eh? Is eet that you are afraid? Is eet that your teeth are on your tongue, to keep eet from the truth? _Oui_! You are the man--you are the man!" "I don't know anything about it. She told me she did it--that those were Mrs. Renaud's things." "Ah! Then you have nev' see that ring, which my Julienne, she wore on her finger. Ah, no? You have nev' see, in all the time that you come to Ba'teese house, the string of bead about her neck. _Oui_! Eet is the lie, you tell. You have see them--eet is the lie!"