t five, nor yet to-morrow at all, nor
yet next day."

"You are not?"

"Not if I know it. I have had enough of this game. I am not going
further West for any one. Hand out the money. You have been told
everything about my brother, true and honest, as far as I know it. Hand
out the money."

"Not a dollar," said Peacocke. "All that I have heard as yet will be of
no service to me. As far as I can see, you will earn it; but you will
have to come on a little further yet."

"Not a foot; I ain't a-going out of this room to-morrow."

"Then I must go without you;--that's all."

"You may go and be ----. But you'll have to shell out the money first, old
fellow."

"Not a dollar."

"You won't?"

"Certainly I will not. How often have I told you so."

"Then I shall take it."

"That you will find very difficult. In the first place, if you were to
cut my throat----"

"Which is just what I intend to do."

"If you were to cut my throat,--which in itself will be difficult,--you
would only find the trifle of gold which I have got for our journey as far
as 'Frisco. That won't do you much good. The rest is in circular notes,
which to you would be of no service whatever."

"My God," said the man suddenly, "I am not going to be done in this way."
And with that he drew out a bowie-knife which he had concealed among the
things which he had extracted from the bag. "You don't know the sort of
country you're in now. They don't think much here of the life of such a
skunk as you. If you mean to live till to-morrow morning you must come to
terms."

The room was a narrow chamber in which two beds ran along the wall, each
with its foot to the other, having a narrow space between them and the
other wall. Peacocke occupied the one nearest to the door. Lefroy now
got up from the bed in the further corner, and with the bowie-knife in his
hand rushed against the door as though to prevent his companion's escape.
Peacocke, who was in bed undressed, sat up at once; but as he did so he
brought a revolver out from under his pillow. "So you have been and armed
yourself, have you?" said Robert Lefroy.

"Yes," said Peacocke;--"if you come nearer me with that knife I shall
shoot you. Put it down."

"Likely I shall put it down at your bidding."

With the pistol still held at the other man's head, Peacocke slowly
extracted himself from his bed. "Now," said he, "if you don't come away
from the door I shall fire one barrel just