she stood motionless in the
center of that leering circle, her eyes wide, her face white as
death,--a slight figure, trying to hard to stand straight, crushed and
defenseless, only her eyes pleading in last appeal. Instinctively her
lips whispered a prayer.

Joe spoke then, a single sentence in the vernacular for Harold's ears.
With one gesture he indicated Harold, himself, and Pete in turn, then
pointed to the girl. His face was hideous with eagerness.

Harold started at the words, but at first made no answer. He had lost
her anyway; there was no need of further restraint. The silence, the
stress, most of all the burning liquor flung a wild and devastating
flame through his veins, a dreadful madness seized his brain. There was
no saving grace, no impulse of manhood, no memory of virtue to hold him
back.

His degeneracy was complete. He could not go lower. His father's
wicked blood pulsed in his veins; the final brutality that the North
bestows upon those it conquers was upon him. He answered with a curse.

"Why not?" he said. "The slut's thrown me over. When I'm through you
can do what you want. And crack the skull of that mole with the pick
and throw him out in the snow."

The two Indians lurched forward at his words. Bill left his chair in a
mighty leap.

XXXI

When Bill sprang forward to intercept the attack upon the girl he came
with amazing accuracy and power. There was nothing of blindness or
misdirection about that leap. It was as if his sight had already
returned to him. The real truth was that by means of his acute ear he
had located the exact position of every actor in the impending drama.

What was more important, he knew the location of both candles. For all
his almost total blindness, he could discern through his watering eyes
the faint, yellow gleam of each. The one that burned beside him, on the
little shelf, he brushed off with one sweep of his hand as he leaped.
He knocked the second from the table; it fell, flickered, filled the
room an instant with dancing light, and then went out. The utter
darkness dropped down.

The act had been so swift and unexpected that neither Joe, standing
nearest to the girl, or Harold across the room could draw their pistols
and fire. Seemingly in a flash the darkness was upon them. No more was
Bill the blind and helpless mole, to strike down with one careless blow.
He was face to face with his enemies in his own dark lair. He had
turne