ead
into a jelly!"

"That's about the size of it."

But Fairchild was fishing in his pockets for pencil and paper, finally
to bring them forth.

"Not that we doubt your sincerity, Bill," he said sarcastically, "but I
think things would be a bit easier if you'd just write it out. Let him
up, Harry."

The big Cornishman obeyed grudgingly. But as he did so, he shook a
fist at his bruised, battered enemy.

"It ain't against the law to 'it a man when 'e 's a criminal," came at
last. The thing was weighing on Harry's mind. "I don't care anyway if
it is--"

"Oh, there 's nothing to that," Anita cut in. "I know all about the
law--father has explained it to me lots of times when there 've been
cases before him. In a thing of this kind, you 've got a right to take
any kind of steps necessary. Stop worrying about it."

"Well," and Harry stood watching a moment as Taylor Bill began the
writing of his confession, "it's such a relief to get four charges off
my mind, that I did n't want to worry about any more. Make hit
fulsome, Bill--tell just 'ow you did it!"

And Taylor Bill, bloody, eyes black, lips bruised, obeyed. Fairchild
took the bescrawled paper and wrote his name as a witness, then handed
it to Harry and Anita for their signatures. At last, he placed it in
his pocket and faced the dolorous high-jacker.

"What else do you know, Bill?"

"About what? Rodaine? Nothing---except that we were in cahoots on
this cross-cut. There is n't any use denying it"--there had come to
the surface the inherent honor that is in every metal miner, a
stalwartness that may lie dormant, but that, sooner or later, must
rise. There is something about taking wealth from the earth that is
clean. There is something about it which seems honest in its very
nature, something that builds big men in stature and in ruggedness, and
it builds an honor which fights against any attempt to thwart it.
Taylor Bill was finding that honor now. He seemed to straighten. His
teeth bit at his swollen, bruised lips. He turned and faced the three
persons before him.

"Take me down to the sheriff's office," he commanded. "I 'll tell
everything. I don't know so awful much--because I ain't tried to learn
anything more than I could help. But I 'll give up everything I 've
got."

"And how about him?" Fairchild pointed to Blindeye, just regaining
consciousness. Taylor Bill nodded.

"He 'll tell--he 'll have to."

They trussed the big mi