have been. It rang a bell for a silence in which the clock
of death seemed to tick. But as the seconds fled Reilly's courage oozed
away. He dared not accept the invitation to reach for his weapon and try
conclusions with this debonair young daredevil. He mumbled a retraction,
and flung, with a curse, out of the room.

Leroy slipped the revolver back in his holster and quoted, with a laugh:

"To every coward safety, And afterward his evil hour."

"What's that?" demanded Neil. "I ain't no coward, even if Jay is. I
don't knuckle under to any man. You got a right to ante up with some
information. I want to know why you ain't got them papers you promised
to bring back with you."

"And I, too, senor. I desire to know what it means," added Chaves, his
eyes glittering.

"That's the way to chirp, gentlemen. I haven't got them because Forbes
blundered on us, and I had to take a pasear awful sudden. But I made an
appointment to meet Collins to-morrow."

"And you think he'll keep it?" scoffed Neil.

"I know he will."

"You seem to know a heap about him," was the significant retort.

"Take care, York."

"I'm not Hardman, cap. I say what I think.

"And you think?" suggested Leroy gently.

"I don't know what to think yet. You're either a fool or a traitor. I
ain't quite made up my mind. When I find out you'll ce'tainly hear from
me straight. Come on, boys." And Neil vanished through the door.

An hour later there came a knock at Leroy's door. Neil answered his
permission to enter, followed by the other trio of flushed beauties. To
the outlaw chief it was at once apparent with what Dutch courage they
had been fortifying themselves to some resolve. It was characteristic
of him, though he knew on how precarious a thread his life was hanging,
that disgust at the foul breaths with which they were polluting the
atmosphere was his first dominant emotion.

"I wish, Lieutenant Chaves, next time you emigrate you'd bring another
brand of poison out to the boys. I can't go this stuff. Just remember
that, will you?"

The outlaw chief's hard eye ran over the rebels and read them like
a primer They had come to depose him certainly, to kill him perhaps.
Though this last he doubted. It wouldn't be like Neil to plan his
murder, and it wouldn't be like the others to give him warning and
meet him in the open. Warily he stood behind the table, watching their
awkward embarrassment with easy assurance. Carefully he placed face
downward on