gently when a sound from without drew my
ears, and I turned towards the door. The Prince had closed his eyes and
lay back in his chair as if he slept, and his face was that of a happy
child. Motioning to the Princess to let him stay so, undisturbed, I
moved to the door and opened it noiselessly. I heard Legrand's voice
raised high as if in angry altercation, and I stepped into the corridor
and closed the door behind me. I hurried down to the barricade and
found Barraclough and Legrand struggling furiously.

"Shame!" I called, "shame! What is it?" and I pulled Legrand back. "He
has only one arm, man," I said reproachfully.

"I don't care if he has none. He's betrayed us," cried Legrand,
savagely angry.

I stared. "What does it mean?"

"Why, that his friends are outside, and that he wants to admit them,"
said Legrand with an oath.

Barraclough met my gaze unblinkingly. "It's more or less true," he said
bluntly, "and I'm going to let them in. I'm sick of this business, and
I've taken the matter in hand myself. I'm captain here."

He spoke with morose authority and eyed me coolly. I shrugged my
shoulders. We could not afford to quarrel, but the man's obduracy
angered me. Alas! I did not guess how soon he was to pay the penalty!

"Then you have come to terms, as you call it, on your own account, with
Holgate?" I asked.

"Yes," he said defiantly.

"And what terms, may I ask?"

He hesitated. "They can have the treasure in return for our safety. You
know my views."

"And you know mine," said I. "Then, I may take it you have revealed the
secret of the treasure?"

"What the devil's it got to do with you?" he replied sullenly. "Stand
out of the way there! I'm going to open the door!"

"And why, pray, if they already have the treasure?"

"You fool! it's only Holgate, and he's here to get us to sign a
document."

"Meaning," said I, "that we are not to split on him, and to keep silent
as to all these bloody transactions."

"It's our only chance," he said savagely. "Out of the way!"

I hesitated. If Holgate were alone, there was not much to be feared,
and, the treasure being now in his hands, what could move him to visit
us? Surely, he could have no sinister motive just then? Could he, after
all, be willing to trust to his luck and release us, his predestined
victims, as the unhappy Prince had trusted to his? The omen was ill.
The barricades had been removed evidently before Legrand had arrived on
the scene to i