le of such a
trick, but we shall need more than suspicion to circumvent his scheme."

"I have every reason, Haines, to feel convinced that both Kirby and
Carver trailed Beaucaire up the river with the intention of plucking
him. Kirby practically confessed this to me, boastingly, afterwards.
All the way down he was bantering the Judge to play. That last night
he so manipulated the cards--or rather Carver did, for it was his
deal--as to deceive Beaucaire into firmly believing that he held an
absolutely unbeatable hand--he was dealt four aces and a king."

The lawyer leaned forward, breathing heavily.

"Four aces! Only one hand is better than that, and it would be
impossible to get such a hand out of one pack."

"That is exactly true, Haines. I am no card player, but I do know that
much about the game. Yet Kirby took the pot with a straight flush.
Now, either he, or Carver, slipped an extra ace into the pack, or else
Beaucaire did. In my opinion the Judge had no chance to work such a
trick. And that's the case, as it stands."

Haines jumped to his feet and began pacing the dirt floor excitedly,
his hands clasped behind his back.

"By God, man!" he cried, pausing suddenly. "Even if he did have a
chance, the Judge never did it--never. He was a good sport, and always
played a straight game. You say he bet everything he had?"

"To the last dollar--Kirby egged him on. Besides the money, a deed to
his land, and a bill of sale for his negroes were on the table."

"The field hands, you mean?"

"Yes, and the house servants. Kirby insisted that he write these
words, 'This includes every chattel slave legally belonging to me,' and
made Beaucaire sign it in that form."

Haines' face was white, his eyes staring at me incredulously.

"God help us, man! Do you know what that means?" he gasped.

"I am almost afraid I do," I answered, yet startled by his manner.
"That was why I sent for you. Would that include his son's daughter?"

He buried his face in his hands.

"Yes," he confessed brokenly. "To the best of my knowledge Rene
Beaucaire is a slave."

CHAPTER VIII

I DECIDE MY DUTY

The silence following this blunt statement was sickening. Up to that
moment, in spite of every fact brought to my knowledge, I had secretly
believed this condition of affairs impossible. Surely somewhere,
through some legal form, Judge Beaucaire had guarded the future safety
of this young woman, whom he had admitted i