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!"

And thus the battle progressed, the old man storming, the frowning,
sullen captive in the chair replying in monosyllables, or refusing to
answer at all. An hour passed, while Tabernacle crowded the little
lobby and overflowed to the street. One by one Ba'tiste brought forth
the trinkets and laid them before the thin-faced man. He forced them
into his hands. He demanded that he explain why he had said nothing of
their presence in the