y--no way out between the devil and the moon!"

Astonishment swept suddenly across the face of the big man, for
Donnegan, turning white as death, shrank toward the wall as though he
had that moment received cold steel in his body.

"Say that again!" said Donnegan hoarsely.

"I said there was no way out," repeated Lord Nick, and though he kept
his right hand in readiness, he passed his left through his red hair and
stared at Donnegan with a tinge of contempt; he had seen men buckle like
this at the last moment when their backs were to the wall.

"Between--" repeated Donnegan.

"The devil and the moon. Do you see a way yourself?"

He was astonished again to see Donnegan wince as if from a blow. His
lips were trembling and they writhed stiffly over his words.

"Who taught you that expression?" said Donnegan.

"A gentleman," said Lord Nick.

"Ah?"

"My father, sir!"

"Oh, heaven," moaned Donnegan, catching his hands to his breast. "Oh,
heaven, forgive us!"

"What the devil is in you?" asked Lord Nick.

The little man stood erect again and his eyes were now on fire.

"You are Henry Nicholas Reardon," he said.

Lord Nick set his teeth.

"Now," he said, "it is certain that you must die!"

But Donnegan cast out his arms and broke into a wild laughter.

"Oh, you fool, you fool!" he cried. "Don't you know me? I am the
cripple!"

32

The big man crossed the floor with one vast stride, and, seizing
Donnegan by both shoulders, dragged him under the full light of the
window; and still the crazy laughter shook Donnegan and made him
helpless.

"They tied me to a board--like a papoose," said Donnegan, "and they
straightened my back--but they left me this way--wizened up." He was
stammering; hysterical, and the words tumbled from his lips in a jumble.
"That was a month after you ran away from home. I was going to find you.
Got bigger. Took the road. Kept hunting. Then I met a yegg who told
about Rusty Dick--described him like you--I thought--I thought you were
dead!"

And the tears rolled down his face; he sobbed like a woman.

A strange thing happened then. Lord Nick lifted the little man in his
arms as if he were a child and literally carried him in that fashion to
the bunk. He put him down tenderly, still with one mighty arm around his
back.

"You are Garry? You!"

"Garrison Donnegan Reardon. Aye, that's what I am. Henry, don't say
that you don't know me!"

"But--your back--I thought--"

"