had counted too much, had been taken and lost
by the very man he wished to save, and the weakness of his own faith was
revealed by the disappearance of the gold--for he had almost forgotten
that the Almighty can provide means at any time and in all
circumstances.

Fred would not allow himself for a moment to think that Tom had _stolen_
his gold. He only _took_ it for a time, with the full intention of
refunding it when better times should come. On this point Fred's style
of reasoning was in exact accord with that of his unhappy friend. Tom
never for a moment regarded the misappropriation of the gold as a theft.
Oh no! it was merely an appropriated loan--a temporary accommodation.
It would be interesting, perhaps appalling, to know how many thousands
of criminal careers have been begun in this way!

"Now, Mister Westly," said Flinders, entering the tent in haste, "what's
to be done? It's quite clear that Mister Tom's not to be hanged, for
there's two or three of us'll commit murder before that happens; but
I've bin soundin' the boys, an' I'm afeared there's a lot o' the worst
wans that'll be glad to see him scragged, an' there's a lot as won't
risk their own necks to save him, an' what betune the wan an' the other,
them that'll fight for him are a small minority--so, again I say, what's
to be done?"

Patrick Flinders's usually jovial face had by that time become almost as
long and lugubrious as that of Westly.

"I don't know," returned Fred, shaking his head.

"My one plan, on which I had been founding much hope, is upset. Listen.
It was this. I have been saving a good deal of my gold for a long time
past and hiding it away secretly, so as to have something to fall back
upon when poor Tom had gambled away all his means. This hoard of mine
amounted, I should think, to something like five hundred pounds. I
meant to have offered it to Gashford for the key of the prison, and for
his silence, while we enabled Tom once more to escape. But this money
has, without my knowledge, been taken away and--"

"Stolen, you mean!" exclaimed Flinders, in surprise.

"No, not stolen--taken! I can't explain just now. It's enough to know
that it is gone, and that my plan is thus overturned."

"D'ee think Gashford would let him out for that?" asked the Irishman,
anxiously.

"I think so; but, after all, I'm almost glad that the money's gone, for
I can't help feeling that this way of enticing Gashford to do a thing,
as it we