e said with tightened lips,
"Why do you follow me? What is your purpose in coming here?"

"I thought," said Hamlin dryly, "that I was to have the pleasure of
getting satisfaction from you for the insult you gave me."

"Well, and if I apologize for it, what then?" he said quickly.

Hamlin looked at him quietly. "Well, I think I also said something about
the lady being the wife of a friend of mine."

"And I have left her BEHIND. Her husband can take her back without
disgrace, for no one knows of her flight but you and me. Do you think
your shooting me will save her? It will spread the scandal far and wide.
For I warn you, that as I have apologized for what you choose to call my
personal insult, unless you murder me in cold blood without witness, I
shall let them know the REASON of your quarrel. And I can tell you more:
if you only succeed in STOPPING me here, and make me lose my chance of
getting away, the scandal to your friend will be greater still."

Mr. Hamlin looked at Van Loo curiously. There was a certain amount
of conviction in what he said. He had never met this kind of creature
before. He had surpassed even Hamlin's first intuition of his character.
He amused and interested him. But Mr. Hamlin was also a man of the
world, and knew that Van Loo's reasoning might be good. He put his hands
in his pockets, and said gravely, "What IS your little game?"

Van Loo had been seized with another inspiration of desperation. Steptoe
had been partly responsible for this situation. Van Loo knew that Jack
and Steptoe were not friends. He had certain secrets of Steptoe's that
might be of importance to Jack. Why should he not try to make friends
with this powerful free-lance and half-outlaw?

"It's a game," he said significantly, "that might be of interest to your
friends to hear."

Hamlin took his hands out of his pockets, turned on his heel, and said,
"Come with me."

"But I must go by that coach now," said Van Loo desperately, "or--I've
told you what would happen."

"Come with me," said Jack coolly. "If I'm satisfied with what you tell
me, I'll put you down at the next station an hour before that coach gets
there."

"You swear it?" said Van Loo hesitatingly.

"I've SAID it," returned Jack. "Come!" and Van Loo followed Mr. Hamlin
into the station hotel.

CHAPTER VI.

The abrupt disappearance of Jack Hamlin and the strange lady and
gentleman visitor was scarcely noticed by the other guests of the Divide