because you
know well what they are, and you have made your choice. But I do ask
you to think carefully before you undertake the r-responsibility of
making Bud a criminal."

Pink's eyes shone cruelly in the darkness, but he only said, "Seems
like you-all been a long time startin' on this yere work o' reform. You
said hit was six weeks ago you heard us a-talkin'."

"Perhaps I have been wrong to delay. But that morning Bud seemed not
sure and determined about joining you, and I hoped that he might make
up his mind to refr-rain."

"How do you know he ain'?"

"Oh, by the grape-vine telegraph. Those things always are known. Also
have I heard the men at the party to-night talking about it."

"Bud ain' no boy. Don' you think he's old enough to decide fo' himself
fo' or ag'in' the life of a law-breaker, as you call hit."

"No, I do not. Bud is several years younger than you in r-real age, and
he is a child beside you in deter-rmination. Also, he admires you."

"Ah'm grateful for the compliment!"

"You could do anything with him."

"Ah'm doin' what Ah wan' to with him."

Von Rittenheim looked at his opponent in disgust, and fell back upon
his last argument.

"You know well what are the chances of your getting caught. You've been
caught before."

"Yes, but Ah won' be this time. Hit was fellers that was mad with me
who told on me befo', 'n Ah've fixed hit this time so Ah ain' got no
enemies. They's only one feller that might inform."

"Who's that?"

"You."

The Baron flung up his head in quick scorn, and Pressley noted the
gesture shrewdly, and nodded in satisfaction. Still he drove in another
nail.

"A feller who'll listen will tell."

Friedrich colored angrily.

"You mean me? It does not sound well to hear--that! At first when I
awoke on the mountain I was sleepy. I r-realized not what it meant.
When I did know, I had no wees' to die at once. I was unarmed myself,
and a man in your position would shoot deter-rmined to kill."

Pressley smiled at this tribute to his quickness and resolve.

"But it is not a question of me. What I was going to say was that you
know there's a chance of your being arrested, and surely you would not
care to feel that it was through you that Bud had br-rought that shame
and disgr-race upon his wife."

"His wife?"

The ejaculation sounded to von Rittenheim like the hiss of a snake, and
he drew away from Pressley as from a reptile.

"You have no r-relatives to suffer; alone