e sat in the dark between fire and
ice, chiefly wondering how he could soonest win through the trap-door
and earn a bullet in his brain.

"The spree to-night," concluded Macbean, whose fall completely sobered
him, "was for the express purpose of expounding the trap to you, and I
asked you airly to take your advice. I was no so sure about young
Fowler, whether we need tell him or no. He has an awful long tongue;
but I'm thinkin' there's a longer if I knew where to look for it."

"I could tell you where," rasped Donkin. "But go on."

"I was watching old Hannah putting her feenishing touches to the table,
and waiting for Fergus Carrick to come back, when I thought I heard him
behind me and you with him. But it was Stingaree and his mate, and the
two of us were covered with revolvers like young rifles. Hannah they
told to go on with what she was doing, as they were mighty hungry, and I
advised her to do as she was bid. The brute with the beard has charge of
her. Stingaree himself drove me into the middle of my own trap-door,
made me give up my keys, and then went behind the counter and did the
trick. He'd got it all down on paper, the Lord alone knows how."

"Oh, you Scotchmen!" cried the pleasant cashier. "Talk of your land of
cakes! You take every cake in the land between you!"

It seemed he had been filling his pipe while he listened and prepared
this pretty speech. Now he struck a match, and with the flame to the
bowl saw Fergus for the first time. The cashier held the match on high.

"You hear all the while?" he cried. "No wonder you lay low, Carrick; no
wonder I didn't hear your voice."

"What do you mean by that?" growled Fergus, in fierce heat and fierce
satisfaction.

"Surely, Mr. Macbean, you aren't wondering who wagged the long tongue
now?"

"You mean that I wagged mine? And it's a lie!" said Fergus, hoarsely; he
was sitting upon his heels, poised to spring.

"I mean that if Mr. Macbean had listened to me two months ago we should
none of us be in this hole now."

"Then, my faith, you're in a worse one than you think!" cried Fergus,
and fell upon his traducer as the match went out. "Take that, and that,
and that!" he ground out through his teeth, as he sent the cashier over
on his back and pounded the earth with his skull. Luckily the first was
soft and the second hard, so that the man was more outraged than hurt
when circumstances which they might have followed created a diversion.

In his turn the