With an effort he shook the feeling off. He was still young, wealth almost unbounded lay within his grasp, and with wealth, wisely used, a clever man could accomplish anything. 'Governor of Dakota.' He murmured the words as he turned again towards the camp.
By the time he reached it, dusk was approaching. The men were squatting round their fire, feeding and whispering together; they took no notice of him as he passed. The prospector and Mary were conversing near the tent, while Lora paced restlessly to and fro. He went to her.
'I want your help,' he said shortly.
In the half light her face showed wan. 'I'm tired of the whole rotten business,' she replied. 'I'll do no more.' She saw his jaw tighten. 'Are you going to fail me on the eve of success?' he asked. 'Don't you realize that it means wealth and ease for the rest of our lives?'
Ever since her conversation with Mary she had been weigh- ing the project of desertion to the other camp, and now the opportunity had been forced upon her. She knew that the mes- sage she was bearing was false--a hidden motive in it--and she had no intention of persuading Green to accede.
'He must take me with him--I won't go back,' she panted, as she stumbled on through the gloom.
Save for the furtive movements of four-footed denizens of the undergrowth the silence was profound. Then came the weird screech of an owl and she shook with fright. The black bulk of the cliff loomed up before her and she turned to the left, leaving the trickle of water which had been her guide; the soft gurgle of it over the stones had been some sort of company. She had gone but a few paces when a gruff voice spoke:
'Who's there? Speak up sharp or I'll shoot.' With a sigh of relief she gave her name and business. She heard men speaking in tones too low for her to distinguish what they said, and then the tall figure of the cowboy came striding out of the darkness. There was light enough for him to see that she was alone, and he slipped his drawn gun into the holster.
'What brings you here?' he asked bluntly.
'I must speak with you,' she said, 'and--I don't want your friends to hear.' She moved away, and when he hesitated, added, 'you need not doubt; there is no one with me.' The puncher followed her. 'I ain't naturally nervous,' he said ironically, 'but one of us was knifed a few hours back.'
'My God!' she breathed. 'Then it was--Hank. He was sent to spy, and Paul was angry when he returned.'
'The killin' interfered with his plan, I s'pose,' Sudden said bitterly. 'Does he know yo're here?'
'He sent me,' Lora replied, and gave the reason.
She could not see the man's face but knew what it would have told her--mocking contempt for one who could make such an offer after the butchery of Bowman. The hard voice held out no hope.
'Did he think I'd fall for that?'
'I told him I could persuade you, but I'm not going to try-- I know he's lying. I wanted to come--on my own account. Jim, I am going mad. I dare not go back. For the love of God let me stay with you.' The passionate appeal rang true but left him unmoved, doubting. Was it the outcome of real terror, or one of the many moods she was mistress of? He could not decide but--
'I've heard the tale so often,' she replied wearily.
'This time you can believe it. Listen! I have been examining the enemy's position; it is impregnable. Much as I hate doing so, I shall have to adopt that girl's suggestion and make terms. Green is the leader of these bandits and I want you to put my proposals to him.' The woman kept her head bowed less he should see the sudden gleam of hope in her eyes. 'Why should he listen to me?' she muttered sullenly.
'I fancy he has a fondness for you,' Paul said. 'And there is no one else. To send Snowy or the girl would be putting cards in their hands, and any man of us might meet a bullet.' She feigned reluctance. 'How can I get word with Green?'
'Follow the stream as far as you can and bear to the left. You will be challenged. Say that you wish to speak with Green --alone. If you are afraid, I will send Hank with you.'
'Much obliged, but then I should be afraid,' she replied cuttingly. 'What am Ito tell the cowboy?'
'That to avoid trouble, Miss Ducane is prepared to join forces and work the mine on a shares basis, she and her uncle, of course, to have the larger interests. The details can be agreed upon.'
'Where do we come in?' she asked curiously.
'Mary will not be ungrateful,' Lesurge explained, 'and the old man will take what is given him; you need not discuss that.'
'You mean to play fair?'
'Certainly, and you must convince him of that; you should be able to.'
'Having under your expert tuition, become such an accom- plished liar,' she added acrimoniously. 'Well, I'll go, but I wish to heaven we'd never heard of Ducane and his damned mine.' A malevolent look followed her as she stepped through the gathering shadows towards the creek. Could he trust her? He smiled wryly. Paul Lesurge trusted no one. He spoke to the men and four of them stole after the messenger.
Though she walked listlessly so long as she was in sight, the moment she reached the dusky vagueness of the trees her step quickened. Little did the man who had sent her guess how eager she was to do his errand. Lora Lesurge was in deadly fear. A creature of cities and crowded places, she could not bear the threatening solitude. Moreover, she was defenceless; her woman's weapon of beauty became, in the company she was in, another danger. And, for the first time in her life, she was afraid of Paul.
raul Lesurge had sent her. His silence told that he was about to refuse and she made a last desperate bid. Clutching him wildly, she cried:
'Jim, you must take me. I--' Out of the murky dimness, creeping forms closed silently in on them, and Sudden, striving to rid himself of the woman, found his arms gripped in a ruder grasp. With a violent gesture he tore his right hand free, thrust Lora away, and rammed his fists into an indistinct patch which he took to be a face. The thud of the blow was followed by a grunt as the man dropped. Swiftly stooping, the cowboy caught the fellow by collar and belt, swung the senseless form up, and with a mighty effort, hurled it at three charging shadows. Without waiting to see the effect of this unusual missile, he ran for the cliff opening. His story was received with varying expressions of anger and disgust.
They fell to discussing it, but Sudden was silent. A woman had fooled him, drawn him into a trap, and held him while he was attacked. He told himself that she was nothing to him, that he had always distrusted her, and yet the memory of her cry as he had retreated remained: 'Jim, I didn't know--I swear--' The voice was cut off as though a hand had been clapped over the speaker's lips.
Meanwhile the subject of his thoughts was being escorted back to the camp. When Hank and Lem had been knocked flat by the smallish but decidedly bony body of Bandy, the fourth man, Fagan, had gripped the woman's arm.
'Tryin' to get away an' double-cross us, huh?' he gibed. 'I reckon Paul'Il wanta see you.'
'Take your filthy paws off, and don't be more of a fool than Nature made you,' she said fiercely. 'Paul himself sent me.'
'Yeah, an' he sent us to watch you,' was the sneering reply.
'Your job was to take Green, and you've failed--as usual,' she retorted. 'Better get your excuses for that ready.' The others came up, Rodd still half-dazed from the rough treatment he had received, and they returned to the camp. Lora went straight to her brother. Fury at the thought that she had been used as a bait, for the moment, dispelled her fear.
'Since when have your hirelings had permission to treat me like a common drab?' she asked indignantly.
Lesurge looked at the men. 'Where's Green?' he barked. 'He got away,' Fagan muttered.
'Yes, in spite of the fact that I was holding him when theyattacked,' Lora taunted. 'Four of them to one and--he got away.' With an evil glare at her, Fagan drew his chief aside. She could not hear what was being said, but knew that she would need all her resource. Paul's expression, when he came back, told her nothing.
'The cowboy refused my offer?'
'Of course, after what one of these curs had done,' she answered heatedly. 'Had I known of that I would not have gone.'
'You told him you were afraid and begged for his protection,' the cold voice continued. 'Don't trouble to lie; Fagan heard all.' The woman's brain was racing. 'I had to think of something to keep him,' she said. 'I guessed
