t?"

Gualtier said nothing.

"Well, I'll tell you what you'd ought to do. You'd ought to have made
straight for that in a bee-line; then dodged behind it. Perhaps I'd
have followed; but then you could have crossed to the other side, got
out of sight, and while I was looking for you, off you'd get to the
river. If I'd have gone on the opposite side you could have cut off
among the mountains. A man," concluded Obed, in a tone of intense
solemnity--"a man that could throw away such a chance as that has
tempted Providence, and don't deserve anything. Young man, you're a
gone sucker!"

Gualtier heard all this, and understood this eccentric but grim
address. He felt that it was all over with him. He had one desperate
thought of snatching at the revolver, which Obed still held in his
hand with apparent carelessness; but he saw that such an attempt
would be madness. The very instant that he had looked Obed had
noticed it, and understood it.

He gave a low laugh.

"You'd better not," said he, and then motioned him toward the
carriage. Gualtier walked on in silence. Obed did not deign to touch
his prisoner, nor did Gualtier dare to make any effort to escape.
There was no chance now, since that other chance had failed; and,
besides, the sight of Obed's revolver was itself sufficient to
prevent such an attempt.

"You've showed considerable sense in walking quietly along," said
Obed, as they came near to the carriage. "If you'd tried to run it
would have been worse for you. You'd have lost a limb, _sure_."

Then Obed stopped, and forced him to look at the ground which they
had gone over, and showed what excellent chances he had thrown away.

On reaching the carriage Zillah was calmer, though still greatly
excited. She said nothing to Gualtier, nor did the latter venture to
look at her. In the flight his wig and hat had fallen off, so that
now his hated face was distinctly visible.

Obed put his hand for a moment on Gualtier's shoulder.

"Is this the man?" he asked.

Zillah bowed.

On this Obed made his prisoner get on the front seat of the carriage,
and drove rapidly back to the villa.

CHAPTER LXXII.

IN PRISON.

Gualtier was driven back to the villa, quite in ignorance as to his
final destination. He was on the front seat, not bound at all, and
there was one moment when there seemed a last chance of escape. It
was at a time when Zillah had noticed Obed's wound, and began to
question him about it wit