"I don't know what he said to you, Moll." "He sez you run off with some other woman's husband," replied Moll bluntly. "Did he tell this to any one except you and your father?" "He didn't tell no one but me, fer as I know. He didn't tell Pap." "When did he tell you?" "Las' night," said Moll, suddenly dropping her eyes. "He wuz drinkin',--an' I thought mebby he wuz lyin'." "You are sure he did not tell your father?" "I'm purty shore he didn't." "Why did he tell you?" The girl raised her eyes. There was a deeper look of pain in them now. "I'd ruther not tell," she muttered. "You need not be afraid." "Well, he wuz arguin' with me. He said there wuzn't any good women in the world. 'Why,' sez he, 'I seen a woman this very day that everybody thinks is as good as the angels up in heaven, but when I tell you whut I know about her you'll--'" "You need not go on," interrupted Rachel Carter, drawing her brows together. "Would you believe me if I told you the man lied, Moll Hawk?" "Yes, ma'am,--I would," said the girl promptly. "Fer as that goes, I TOLE him he lied." Rachel started to say something, then closed her lips tightly and fell to staring out over the river. The girl eyed her for a moment and then went on: "You needn't be skeert of me ever tellin' anybody whut he said to me. Hit wouldn't be right to spread a lie like thet, Mis' Gwyn. You--" "I think they are waiting for us, Moll," interrupted Rachel, suddenly holding out her hand to the girl. "Thank you. Come, give me your hand. We will go back to them, hand in hand, my girl." Moll stared at her in sheer astonishment. "You--you don't want to hold my hand in yours, do you?" she murmured slowly, incredulously. "I do. You will find me a good friend,--and you will need good friends, Moll." Dumbly the girl held out her hand. It was clasped firmly by Rachel Carter. They were half-way up the bank when Moll held back and tried to withdraw her hand. "I--I can't let you,--why, ma'am, that's the hand I--I held the knife in," she cried, agitatedly. Rachel gripped the hand more firmly. "I know it is, Moll," she said calmly. CHAPTER XXII THE PRISONERS