"How do you know you will get free this afternoon?" "You promised to let me go when my uncle brought the money." "Your uncle?" repeated Hugh, exhibiting surprise, fixing his eyes keenly upon our hero. "Yes, he is my uncle, but he does not acknowledge me yet." "Humph!" said Hugh, thoughtfully to himself. "Suppose he does own you, what then?" "It is a secret." "You'd better tell me. I have a reason for asking." "I have a claim to the property which my uncle possesses." "That's it. I understand it now." "What do you understand?" "Suppose you was to die, what then?" "There would be nobody to disturb my uncle in the possession of his property." "He wouldn't cry much if you was to die." "What do you mean?" asked Gilbert, unpleasantly impressed by the man's tone. "He wants you dead--that's the long and short of it." "I can't believe it," said Gilbert, shuddering. "You can have no cause to say this. He can't be so wicked." "Look here, young one," said Hugh, "I'll tell you a secret. You take me for a robber, don't you?" "Yes." "In course you do. Now I'm going to surprise you. My stopping your mouth to-day was all a put-up job." "You don't mean that my uncle engaged you to do it?" "Yes, I do." "What was his object?" "He don't mean to come back for you. He wants me to kill you." "You don't mean that?" said Gilbert, horror-struck. "Yes, I do. He's goin' to give me a thousand dollars." "And you agreed to do it?" "Yes, I agreed to do it." "Would you stain your hands with murder for a thousand dollars?" asked Gilbert, solemnly. "What can I do? I'm a poor man. Fortune has gone agin me all my life. There ain't no other way I can get money. If I was well off I wouldn't do it." "Good Heaven! To think my uncle should be capable of such wickedness." "It's just as bad for him, ain't it? He hires me to kill you for the sake of money. What's the odds?" "He is worse than you. He knows that I would not strip him of everything, even if I succeed." "What's your chances, young one? Have you got a good case?" "If I hadn't, he wouldn't conspire for my death." "That's so. Now, young chap, shall I kill you or not?" "Of course I don't want to be killed, but you are too strong for me. I am in your power." "Swear, if I spare your life, will you see that I don't lose by it?" Gilbert caught his meaning and snatched at the chance of safety. "If you let me go, you shall have the same amount my uncle promised you, and will have no stain of murder on your hands." "Have you got the money?" "Nearly all. The rest I can raise. But I will do better than that, on one condition." "What's that?" "If you will let me call you as a witness, to prove that my uncle engaged you to kill me, I shall be sure to recover my property, and the day I come into possession I will pay you over _two thousand dollars_." Hugh's eyes sparkled, but he answered cautiously: "Won't there be no risk? Can't they shut me up?"