dn't a thing in the world against
you, an' I haven't now."

"That damned ruffian shot at me. He was still shooting when I struck
him with the chair," cried Bromfield, his voice shaking.

"He didn't know it was you--mistook you for Lindsay in the darkness."

"My God, I didn't mean to kill him. I had to do something."

"You did it all right."

"I told you there wasn't to be any violence. It was explicitly stated.
You promised. And all the time you were planning murder. I'll tell
all I know. By God, I will."

"Go easy, Mr. Bromfield," snarled Jerry. "If you do, where do ye think
you'll get off at?"

"I'll go to the police and tell them your hired gunman was shooting at
us."

"Will you now? An' I'll have plenty of good witnesses to swear he
wasn't." Durand bared his teeth in a threat. "That's not all either.
I'll tie you up with the rube from the West and send you up to Sing
Sing as accessory. How'd you like that?"

"If I tell the truth--"

"You'll be convicted of murder in place of him and he'll go up as
accessory. I don't care two straws how it is. But you'd be a damned
fool. I'll say that for you."

"I'm not going to let an innocent man suffer in my place. It wouldn't
be playing the game."

Durand leaned forward and tapped the table with his finger-tips. His
voice rasped like a file. "You can't save him. He's goin' to get it
right. But you can hurt yourself a hell of a lot. Get out of the
country and stay out till it's over with. That's the best thing you
can do. Go to the Hawaiian Islands, man. That's a good healthy
climate an' the hotel cooking's a lot better than it is at Sing Sing."

"I can't do it," moaned the clubman. "My God, man, if it ever came
out--that I'd paid you money to--to--ruin his reputation, and that I'd
run away when I could have saved an innocent man--I'd be done for. I'd
be kicked out of every club I'm in."

"It won't ever come out if you're not here. But if you force my
hand--well, that's different." Again Jerry's grin slit his colorless
face. He had this poor devil where he wanted him, and he was enjoying
himself.

"What do you want me to do, then?" cried Bromfield, tiny beads of
perspiration on his forehead.

"You'll do as I say--beat it outa the country till the thing's over
with."

"But Lindsay will talk."

"The boob's padlocked his mouth. For some fool reason he's protectin'
you. Get out, an' you're safe."

Bromfield sweated blood as he