r we'll put daylight through you."

This was followed by the low, pleading voice of the jailer's wife,
begging her husband to comply with the demand, and the wailing of two
or three children.

"Wait, then!" yielded the jailer. Westerfelt heard a door slam and
chains clank and rattle on the wooden floor; a bolt was slid back, the
front door opened, and the white drift parted to receive a dark form.

"Whar's my hoss?" doggedly asked Toot Wambush.

"Out thar hitched to the fence," answered the leader.

"You-uns was a hell of a time comin'," retorted Wambush.

"Had to git together; most uv us never even heerd uv yore capture tell
a hour by sun. Huh, you'd better thank yore stars we re'ched you when
we did."

The band filed out of the gate and mounted their horses. Toot Wambush
was a little in advance of the others. He suddenly turned his horse
towards the hotel.

Westerfelt instinctively drew back behind the curtain, Harriet caught
his arm and clung to it.

"Go to your room!" she whispered. "You'd better; you must not stay
here." He seemed not to hear; he leaned forward and peered again
through the window. The leader and Wambush had just reined their
horses in at the edge of the sidewalk.

"Come on, Toot; whar you gwine?" asked the leader.

"I want to take that feller with us; I'll never budge 'thout him, you
kin bet your bottom dollar on that."

"He's bad hurt--'bout ter die; don't be a fool!"

"Huh! Doc Lash sent me word he was safe. I didn't hurt 'im; but he
did me; he damaged my feelings, and I want to pay 'im fer it. Are you
fellers goin' back on me?"

"Not this chicken," a voice muttered, and a white form whipped his
horse over to Wambush's. "I'm with you," said another. Then there was
a clamor of voices, and all the gang gathered round Wambush. He
chuckled and swore softly. "That's the stuff!" he said. "Them's
Cohutta men a-talkin'; you kin bet yore sweet life."

Harriet turned to Westerfelt. "They are drinking," she said. "Haven't
you got a pistol?"

"No."

"You stay here then; don't let them see you; I'm going up-stairs and
speak to Toot from the veranda. It's the only chance. Sh!"

She did not wait for a reply, but opened the door noiselessly and went
out into the hall. He heard the rustle of her skirts as she went up
the stairs. A moment later the door leading to the veranda on the
floor above opened with a creak, and she appeared over the heads of the
band.

"Toot!