Maud, driven out of her wits by the dreadful scene, had sunk in a
rocking-chair, where, with her face in her hands, she was sobbing and
moaning. Sam tried to get her to listen to him.

"Good-by, Mattie, I shall never see you again, I suppose. I must run
for my life. I want you to know I was innocent of what they charged me
with----"

"Oh, I know that, Sam," she sobbed.

"God bless you, Mattie, for saying so. I don't care so much for what
happens, now. I am right glad I got here to save you from that----" he
paused, searching for a word which would be descriptive and yet not
improper in the presence of a lady, but his vocabulary was not rich and
he said at last, "that snide. But I should have done that to him
anyhow; so don't cry on that account. Mattie, will you tell me
good-by?" he asked with bashful timidity.

She rose and gave him her hand; but her eyes happening to wander to the
shapeless form lying in the corner, she hid her face again on his
shoulder and said with a fresh burst of tears. "Oh, Sam, stay with me a
little while. Don't leave me alone."

His mind travelled rapidly through the incidents that would result from
his staying--prison, trial, and a darker contingency still, rearing its
horrible phantom in the distance. But she said, "You will stay till
father comes, won't you?" and he answered simply:

"Yes, Mattie, if you want me to."

He led her to a seat and sat down beside her, to wait for his doom.

In a few minutes, they heard a loud altercation outside the door. The
voice of Saul Matchin was vehemently protesting, "I tell ye he ain't
here," and another voice responded,

"He was seen to climb the fence and to enter the house. We've got it
surrounded, and there's no use for you to get yourself into trouble
aidin' and abettin'."

Sam walked to the door and said to the policeman, with grim humor,
"Come in! you'll find two murderers here, and neither one will show any
fight."

The policemen blew their whistles to assemble the rest, and then came
in warily, and two of them seized him at once.

"It's all very well to be meek and lowly, my friend," said one of them,
"but you'll not play that on us twice--least ways," he added with
sarcastic intention, "not twice the same day. See here, Tony Smart,"
addressing a third, who now entered, "lend a hand with these
bracelets," and in a moment Sam was handcuffed and pinioned.

"Where's the other one you was talking about?" asked the policeman.

Sam p