re we found you. So we thought we'd give this man
the same show, and brought you."

"And if I refuse?" said Gideon.

The leader shrugged his shoulders.

"That's HIS lookout, not ours. We've given him the chance. Drive
ahead, boys," he added, turning to the others; "the parson allows he
won't take a hand."

"One moment," said Gideon, in desperation, "one moment, for the sake of
that God you have brought me here to invoke in behalf of this wretched
man. One moment, for the sake of Him in whose presence you must stand
one day as he does now." With passionate earnestness he pointed out
the vindictive impulse they were mistaking for Divine justice; with
pathetic fervency he fell upon his knees and implored their mercy for
the culprit. But in vain. As at the camp-meeting of the day before, he
was chilled to find his words seemed to fall on unheeding and
unsympathetic ears. He looked around on their abstracted faces; in
their gloomy savage enthusiasm for expiatory sacrifice, he was
horrified to find the same unreasoning exaltation that had checked his
exhortations then. Only one face looked upon his, half mischievously,
half compassionately. It was the prisoner's.

"Yer wastin' time on us," said the leader, dryly; "wastin' HIS time.
Hadn't you better talk to him?"

Gideon rose to his feet, pale and cold. "He may have something to
confess. May I speak with him alone?" he said gently.

The leader motioned to the sentry to fall back. Gideon placed himself
before the prisoner so that in the faint light of the camp-fire the
man's figure was partly hidden by his own. "You meant well with your
little bluff, pardner," said the prisoner, not unkindly, "but they've
got the cards to win."

"Kneel down with your back to me," said Gideon, in a low voice. The
prisoner fell on his knees. At the same time he felt Gideon's hand and
the gliding of steel behind his back, and the severed cords hung
loosely on his arms and legs.

"When I lift my voice to God, brother," said Gideon, softly, "drop on
your face and crawl as far as you can in a straight line in my shadow,
then break for the tules. I will stand between you and their first
fire."

"Are you mad?" said the prisoner. "Do you think they won't fire lest
they should hurt you? Man! they'll kill YOU, the first thing."

"So be it--if your chance is better."

Still on his knees, the man grasped Gideon's two hands in his own and
devoured him with his eyes.

"You m