y mother gone it was simply a hopeless, desperate
determination to square the score at any cost, and then cry 'Quits!'
and care nothing."

She drew back, studying the outline of his agile body, as he stood
silhouetted against the moonlight.

"And are you alone?"

"Alone."

"And if you're caught," there was a curious eagerness in her low voice,
"it means payment with your life?"

"Yes!"

"Suppose that I decided to help you--to do more than I have done?"

Jarvis discarded his fatalism, as he caught at this loophole.

"What do you mean?"

"You have no fear of death? You are not afraid of ghosts?"

"Ghosts? Don't joke with me. I am an American."

"Yes--ghosts--they are not confined to America, or China, or Africa. I
mean Spanish ghosts."

Jarvis' laugh was almost bitter, as he responded with a tense
earnestness:

"After to-night I am not afraid of the living or the dead. What are you
thinking about?"

After a hesitation, poignant in its baffling anxiety, she rose and
walked toward him, absolutely forgetful of their curious meeting and
their lack of a common ground of interest.

"If you escape from here, it will be because I helped you. We might
say, I saved your life,--if what you tell me is true and if I do it
from a selfish motive entirely, I am justified. I have work for you ...
hard, dangerous work, and as I am frank, it may mean your life in the
end. It's a chance, and you have nothing to lose."

"And if I agree?"

"You will begin by taking the ancient feudal oath of my country."

"Isn't my word enough? I'm a Kentuckian, you know."

"But I insist."

Jarvis smiled indulgently.

"Very well--I'll swear the blackest oath you can utter." His eyes
twinkled. "Let's hear it all now."

The girl drew back her shoulders haughtily. It was apparent that she
took this curious idea more seriously than the prelude would suggest.

"What is your name?"

"Jarvis."

"All of it?"

"Warren Jarvis."

She raised her hands, to the Kentuckian's surprise.

"Kneel then, Warren of Jarvis!... No, not that way,--on one knee only!"

"I beg your pardon." Jarvis began to feel ridiculous, in spite of
himself. But there were reasons for humoring this curious beauty. The
footsteps were still audible in the hall.

"Now repeat this oath: I, Warren of Jarvis" (he followed word for
word), "Senor of all the domains, fiefs, keeps, and marches of Warren
of Kentucky..."

"Whew!" and he stifled a laugh as he echoed the w