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Higgins awaited the expected onslaught merrily; Blease was hopeful of revenge; and Roger, as he lay with his rifle ready, smiled because Annette was out of Garman's power. Wherever she was, he felt she was safe.
The tense, breathless seconds passed; they became minutes, but no second shot shattered the sultry silence. Roger relinquished his rifle and picked up his glasses. Again he scanned the muck land and its boundaries without result. Presently he saw Blease emerge from the elderberry jungle. The squatter stood staring toward Flower Prairie where the shot had been fired.
As for the woman, it was obvious that she was Blease's superior. "Tell me, Blease," said Payne suddenly, "How long have you been living on this land?" "'Bout two years," replied the squatter after a long pause. "You don't pretend you have a title to it?" Again the pause, then: "No, sir, I don't." "Have you got a mule?" broke out Roger suddenly. "A mule? No. Why?"
Roger studied the tracks leading into the swamp and saw that several of them had been made on the run. It was apparent from all signs that the guards had fled, driven by fear of something. "Blease," said Roger suddenly, "you scout up the ox trail and see if they're gone from Coon Hammock, too; and, Higgins, you slip up towards the Devil's Playground and see what you can see."
But soon, as that discussion grew more animated, and the vision of the sea of gold came dazzlingly before his eyes, he forgot his dudgeon and chimed in once more, thus tacitly accepting the leadership of Iskender, who was satisfied. "When shall we start?" asked the Emîr at last. "Wheneffer you blease, dear sir," replied Iskender. But Elias thought profoundly, visibly, with finger laid to brow.
God knows I do anything to blease you! I treat her honourably, sir; I be her servant like as I'f been yours. All that I told you about me and her was nothin'; I was just a silly boy. I resbect her, sir; I be her slave; you trust me. By God, I treat her like as if she was the Blessed Firgin! It will cost you nothin', sir; I bray you do not doubt "
For the look in her eyes and upon her face was a hint of the look which he had beheld upon the countenance of Mrs. Blease. He recoiled from it at first. Then he bent forward, scanning her mercilessly, and saw with a sense of relief that he was wrong. The face of the girl was the panorama of a struggle. There was fear there, and uncertainty in the eyes; but there was no acknowledgment of defeat.
"I'll be darned," said Roger, puzzled. "Boys, how did you ever come here?" "Dat white man" a grinning negro pointed to where Blease had fired from the jungle "he say he shoot us if we don' come." Higgins had searched the two strangers and taken a revolver from each. "All right, boys," said Roger. "You can get right back to work. The show's over."
Blease and I took in on the gallop back toward the ditches, but we were too late. They'd jumped it already, a whole army of 'em, and real hard hombres. Shoot?" He held out his perforated sun helmet. "I pushed that up on the stick for an experiment, and the guy that drilled it was two hundred yards away." "It was my fault," said Payne. "Garman was too smart for me.
Through confusion and annoyance he caught nothing of the conversation till Elias, in a mincing voice, announced: "The grub quite ready." The Englishman laughed at that; upon which Elias, dancing up to him, exclaimed: "You are a good fellow; I see that. I like you, and so blease to see you here."
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