Pagina 27 di 439

The imperilled man thought of the girl bing toward the border

with her brother and the remembrance padlocked his tongue.

"Take me to the proper authorities and I'll answer questions.

But, I'll not talk here. What's the use? You don't believe a word

I say."

"You spoke the truth that time," said one.

"If you ever want to do any explaining now's the hour," added

another.

"I'll do mine later, gentlemen."

They looked at each other and one of them spoke.

"It will be too late to explain then."

"Too late?"

Some inkling of the man's hideous meaning seared him and ran like

an ice-blast through him.

"You've done all the meanness you'll ever do in this world. Poor

Dave Long is the last man you'll ever kill. We're going to do

justice right now."

"Dave Long! I never heard of him," the prisoner repeated

mechanically. "Good God, do you think I'm a murderer?"