I was bewildered, for Pierre seemed like one of those dream figures of
the past; he might have come into my life long ago, but not to-day, nor
yesterday.

He stopped me and held me by both shoulders, and he drew me into the
recesses of the rocks and bent his wizened old face forward toward mine.

"Ah, _monsieur_, so you did not obey old Pierre Caribou and stay in the
cave," he said.

"Pierre, I did not know that you would return," I answered. "I thought
that we could find the same road that you had taken."

"Never mind," the Indian answered, looking at me strangely. "All
finish now. _Diable_ take Leroux. His time come. _Diable_ show me!"

"How?" I answered, startled.

"All finish," said Pierre inexorably, and, as I watched him, a
superstitious fear crept over me. He, who had cringed, even when he
gave the command, now cringed no longer, and there was a look on his
old face that I had only seen on one man's before--on my father's, the
night he died.

"Pierre, where is Leroux?" I whispered.

"No matter," he answered. "All finish now."

"Shall I surrender to him or shall I fight?"

"No matter," he said once again. "_M'sieur_, suppose you go back to
ma'm'selle, and soon Simon come. His _diable_ lead him to you. His
_diable_ tell you what to say. All finish now!"

He walked past me noiselessly, a tenuous shadow, and his bearing was as
proud as that of his race had been in the long ago, when they were
lords where their white masters ruled. He entered the passage at the
back of the mine, through which I had come when I encountered Lacroix
the first time with his gold.

And as he passed I thought I saw Lacroix's face peering out at me
through the shadows of the caves. I started toward him. Then I saw
only the face of the cliff. My mind was playing me tricks; I thought
it had created that apparition out of my thoughts.

I went back to Jacqueline and took my seat upon the earth-bag
barricade. I had my revolver in my hand, but it was not loaded. I
threw the cartridges upon the floor.

It seemed only a few minutes before a voice hailed me from the tunnel.

"M. Hewlett! Are you prepared to speak with M. Leroux?"

It was Raoul's voice, and I answered yes.

A moment later Leroux came from the tunnel toward me. I got down from
the barricade and met him at the stream. He stood upon one side and I
at the other, and the stream gurgled and played between us.

"Paul Hewlett," said Leroux, "you hav