end for a surgeon?"

"Go into the next room and bring me the leather chest you'll find
there."

Wilson obeyed. The man opened it and took out a vial of catgut, a roll
of antiseptic gauze, several rolls of bandages, and--a small,
pearl-handled revolver. He levelled this at Wilson.

"Now," he commanded, "tell me who the Devil you are."

Wilson did not flinch.

"Put it down," he suggested. "There is time enough for questions
later. Your wound ought to be attended to. Tell me what to do."

The man's eyes narrowed, but his hand dropped to his side. He realized
that he was quite helpless and that to shoot the intruder would serve
him but little. By far the more sensible thing to do was to use him.
Wilson, watching him, ready to spring, saw the question decided in the
prostrate man's mind. The latter spoke sharply.

"Take one of those surgical needles and put it in the candle flame."

Wilson obeyed and, as soon as it was sterilized, further followed his
instructions and sewed up the wound and dressed it. During this
process the stranger showed neither by exclamation nor facial
expression that he felt in the slightest what must have been
excruciating pain. At the conclusion of the operation the man
sprinkled a few pellets into the palm of his hand and swallowed them.
For a few minutes after this he remained very quiet.

Wilson glanced up at the girl. She had turned her back upon the two
men and was staring into the flames. She was not crying, but her two
tightly clenched fists held closely jammed against her cheeks showed
that she was keeping control of herself by an effort. It seemed to
Wilson that it was clearly his duty to get her out of this at once.
But where could he take her?

The stranger suddenly made an effort to struggle to his feet. He had
grasped his weapon once again and now held it aggressively pointed at
Wilson.

"What's the matter with you?" demanded Wilson, quietly stepping
forward.

"Matter?" stammered the stranger. "To come into your house and--and----"
he pressed his hand to his side and was forced to put out an arm to
Wilson for support.

"I tell you we mean you no harm. We aren't thieves or thugs. We were
driven in here by the rain."

"But how----"

"By a window in the rear. Let us stay here until morning--it is too
late for the girl to go out--and you'll be none the worse."

Wilson saw the same hard, determined look that he had noted upon the
stairs return to the gray eyes. It was c