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The same night while I was dozing in my "digin" I was awakened by heavy breathing on my right as if a man was dying. It was pitch dark, so I called the sentry and told him some one was hurt. Sergeant Miller, who was close at hand, jumped up and with an electric torch we started to search the line to find out who was wounded. In the second digin on my right we found Corporal Kells very nearly gone.
There were no other men now in sight. She knew that Jim would follow soon, because his gold-dust was hidden in the cavern back of her room, and he would not need much time to get it. Nevertheless, she anxiously looked back. She and Kells had gone perhaps a couple of hundred yards before Jim appeared, and then he came on the run. At a point about opposite the first tents he joined Kells.
It's as if he were a gorilla and would take me off even if I were dead!... No, Jim, let us wait. Let me select the time. I can do it. Trust me. Oh, Jim, now that I've saved you from being a bandit, I can do anything. I can fool Kells or Pearce or Wood any of them, except Gulden." "If Kells had to choose now between trailing you and rushing for the gold-camp, which would he do?"
From the fleeting expression on Kells's face Joan read that he knew Gulden's project would defeat his own and render both enterprises fatal. "Gulden, I don't want to lose you," he said. "You won't lose me if you see this thing right," replied Gulden. "You've got the brains to direct us. But, Kells, you're losing your nerve.... It's this girl you've got here!"
The Archdeacon of Kells, therefore, was despatched to the pope and to the emperor, to press the latter to send assistance on this happy success, and to bring back absolution from his Holiness, if the murder required it. The next object was to prevent news from reaching England before the castle should be taken.
"Can't you give me a a longer coat?" faltered Joan. Cleve heard, and without speaking he went to his saddle and unrolled his pack. Inside a slicker he had a gray coat. Joan had seen it many a time, and it brought a pang with memories of Hoadley. Had that been years ago? Cleve handed this coat to Joan. "Thank you," she said. Kells held the coat for her and she slipped into it. She seemed lost.
We're not welcome in the gambling-places any more. Last night I was not allowed to sit in the game at Belcher's." "You think Cleve has squealed?" queried Kells. "Yes." "I'll bet you every ounce of dust I've got that you're wrong," declared Kells. "A straight, square bet against anything you want to put up!" Kells's ringing voice was nothing if not convincing.
Gulden backed away stolidly, apparently dazed by his own movements; then he plunged out the door, and the ruffians who had given silent but sure expression of their loyalty tramped after him. "Reckon thet starts the split!" declared Red Pearce. "Suppose you'd been in Jim's place!" flashed Kells. "Jack, I ain't sayin' a word. You was square.
It'll not matter to a girl who can never tell!... Have I forgotten? God! I have not! Listen, so that you'll KNOW I'm bad. My name's not Kells. I was born in the East, and went to school there till I ran away. I was young, ambitious, wild. I stole. I ran away came West in 'fifty-one to the gold-fields in California. There I became a prospector, miner, gambler, robber and road-agent.
"Oh, you mean the girl?... Sure, I'm getting over that, except when I drink." "Tell us, Jim," said Kells, curiously. "Aw, you'll give me the laugh!" retorted Cleve. "No, we won't unless your story's funny." "You can gamble it wasn't funny," put in Red Pearce.
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