im; but Granger took the gun from
his hand. "No. Not that," he said.

Turning about, he saw that Peggy had risen and, with his child in her
arms, was hurrying toward the threshold. Guessing her purpose, he
caught her by the waist and drew her back. He led her to that corner
of the room which was darkest, and, making her sit down, bent above
her speaking in a low quick voice. For two minutes nothing was heard
but her sobbing, the hissing of his whispered messages, and the slow,
deep-drawn breathing of Eyelids and Antoine. They both knew now that
he was innocent since they had seen the shadow. The air was heavy with
suspense. There was a crunching of snow which came nearer, ascending
the mound toward the shack. There was the sound of several footsteps,
as of men taking up positions about the house. The door burst open and
Beorn entered, followed by a man who, Granger guessed from his bearing
and dress, was Sergeant Shattuck. It was his last chance to redeem
himself.

He rose up, resting his hand on his wife's shoulder to keep her
seated, and stood in front of her, hiding her from view, so that the
sergeant should not see that tell-tale shadow behind her. Even while
he held himself there in breathless silence, taking his first look at
the man who had travelled all those miles only to carry him southward
to his death, he smiled grimly, amused at the Homeric justice of
it--that Spurling should have killed and been killed by a woman in
disguise, and that on his head should rest the burden of the shame, he
who throughout his life had never _done_, but had only _intended_.

Then the sergeant spoke. "John Granger, are you there?"

"I am."

"I arrest you, John Granger, on the charge of being concerned in the
death of Corporal Eric Strangeways, and of the wilful murder of one
Druce Spurling, your accomplice in the latter crime, whom you, well
knowing that he was a fugitive from justice, assisted to escape from
the afore-mentioned Eric Strangeways."

Peggy half rose to her feet, with a choking cry, and tried to speak;
but Granger checked her.

"I plead guilty," he said; "I am ready to come with you. I have only
one request to make, that you take me away with you at once, setting
out this night."

The sergeant looked doubtful; he had made a long journey, and he and
his dogs were tired. But hearing the sound of intolerable sobbing, he
thought that he understood, and nodded his assent.

They all stepped out, closing the do