The dead Greek lay there where he
had not been expected, and his two pistols lay beside him where they had
fallen.

Sanchez looked stealthily at Quintana, who said softly:

"Bien sure. ... In his left side pocket, I believe."

* * * * *

Sanchez laid a cool hand on the dead man's heart; then, satisfied,
rummaged until he found Georgiades' share of the loot.

Sard, hurriedly displaying a pair of clean but shaky hands, made the
division.

When the three men had silently pocketed what was allotted to each,
Quintana pushed curiously at the dead man with the toe of his shoe.

"Peste!" he remarked. "I had place, for security, a ver' large diamon'
in my pistol barrel. Now it is within the interior of this gentleman.
..." he turned to Sanchez: "I sell him to you. One sapphire. Yes?"

Sanchez shook his head with a slight sneer: "We wait -- if you want your
diamond, mon capitaine."

Quintana hesitated, then made a grimace and shook his head.

"No," he said, "he had swallow. Let him digest. Allons! March!"

But after they had gone on -- two hundred yards, perhaps -- Sanchez
stopped.

"Well?" inquired Quintana. Then, with a sneer: "I now recollec' that
once you have been a butcher in Madrid. ... Suit your tas'e, l'ami
Sanchez."

Sard gazed at Sanchez out of sickened eyes.

"You keep away from me until you've washed yourself," he burst out,
revolted. "Don't you come near me till you're clean!"

Quintana laughed and seated himself. Sanchez, with a hang-dog glance at
him, turned and sneaked back on the trail they had traversed. Before he
was out of sight Sard saw him fish out a Spanish knife from his hip
pocket and unclasp it.

Almost nauseated, he turned on Quintana in a sort of frightened fury:

"Come on!" he said hoarsely. "I don't want to travel with that man! I
won't associate with a ghoul! My God, I'm a respectable business
man----"

"Yaas," drawled Quintana, "tha's what I saw always myse'f; my frien'
Sard he is ver' respec'able, an' I trus' him like I trus' myse'f."

However, after a moment, Quintana got up from the fallen tree where he
had been seated.

As he passed Sard he looked curiously into the man's frightened eyes.
There was not the slightest doubt that Sard was a coward.

"You shall walk behin' me," remarked Quintana carelessly. "If Sanchez
fin' us, it is well; if he shall not, that also is ver' well. ... We go,
now."

* * * * *

Sanchez made no effort to find them. They