om which we could look down into the
yard of a prison. Under the eyes of an armed guard some prisoners were
crossing to their cells. Two of them were in stripes, the third was not.

"Look," I told her. "Bothwell is down there, locked up and guarded. He
can't escape."

The little group below came closer. I had noticed that the prisoner not
in uniform was a white man and not a native. He carried himself with a
distinction one could not miss. Even before he looked up both of us knew
the man was Boris Bothwell.

He stopped in his tracks, white-lipped, a devil of hatred and rage
burning out of his deep-set eyes. A dullard could not have missed his
thoughts. He was a prisoner in this vile hole, while I had brought the
woman he loved to mock at him. The girl and the treasure would both be
mine. Before him lay no hope.

I felt a sense of shame at being an unexpected witness of his
degradation. As I started to draw Evelyn back a guard prodded the Slav
with his bayonet point. Bothwell whirled like a tiger and sprang for the
throat of the fellow. They went down together. Other guards rushed to
the rescue of their companion.

We waited to see no more.

It must have been a minute before either of us spoke.

"Bad as he is, I can't help being sorry for him. It's as if a splendid
lion were being worried to death by a pack of coyotes," Evelyn said with
a shudder.

"Yes, there's something big even in his villainy. But you may take one
bit of comfort: He can't get free to interfere with us--and he deserves
all he'll get."

"I know. My reason tells me that all will be well now, but I have a
feeling as if the worst were not yet over."

I tried to joke her out of it.

"It hasn't begun. You're not married to Jack Sedgwick yet."

"No; but, dear, I can't get away from the thought that you are going
into danger again," she went on seriously.

"Tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to drink," I quoted lightly.

"I dare say I'm a goose," she admitted.

"You are. My opinion is that you're in as much danger as we shall be."

"Is that why you are leaving me here?" she flashed back.

I laughed. In truth I did not quite believe what I had said. For I
could see no danger at all that lay in wait for her. But the events
proved that I had erred only in not putting the case strongly enough.
Before we returned to civilization she was to be in deadly peril.

CHAPTER XXI

A MESSAGE FROM BUCKS

In the forenoon we drew out fro