e child was dead born.

"The life with him has been hell. I had to live, and he was liberal in
his brutal way. Long ago I learned from Pedro that he was robbing you,
but for that I cared nothing. The men of your race have given me blood
and gall to drink, and the thought of your wrongs was bitterly sweet to
me; it would have been sweeter had your lives gone with it."

They looked at her entirely without resentment; this was something they
could understand. Douglass felt a great sympathy for her, but Red was
revolving something in his mind that made his eyes gleam evilly.

"Yesterday I upbraided him with the truth. God knows what I said, for my
heart was hot and I think I was mad. He was devil enough to admit all,
and taunt me with my helplessness. We are of a passionate blood, we
people of the South, and I tried--. Enough! He beat me--me, Dolores
Ysobel de Tejada! May his soul writhe in hell until I lave his accursed
lips!" Her venomous fury was not shrill and vociferous; instead, it was
cold and low-voiced, but Douglass breathed hard and Red clenched his
lips, watching it. She sprang impulsively to her feet and tore violently
at her bodice. As the thin silk ripped away they saw that arms, neck and
breasts were purple.

She came closer, thrusting her shame into their very faces. "See!" she
hissed, "the chivalry of the American gringo! Do you Yanquis treat all
your women so tenderly, caballeros?"

Douglass's face hardened resentfully. "We are not all Coogans, Senora.
Be seated, please, and for God's sake, cover up that horror! And
now--why do you tell us this?"

"So that you will kill him--for a price."

Red laughed harshly. "By Gawd! Madame Dolores Ysobel de Tajeda--or
Coogan, whatever yuah name is, I'd giv' a better price ef yuh was able
to tuhn yuhself into a man fer a couple o' minnits. What d'yuh take us
fer, greasers?" But Douglass, his own face very white and hard set,
asked quietly, with an eager interest in his calm voice:

"And the price, Senora?"

"I will give him into your hands," she said coolly, "I have letters,
some from Matlock, which he thought destroyed, and two from him to
Matlock which were missent and returned here. In his absence, I received
and kept them. I have also one from Rodriguez asking me for money and
threatening me with exposure if I denied him. They are enough to prove
your case and give you justification for killing him."

Douglass rose quietly. "You do me much honor, Senora.