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Donnegan shrugged his shoulders. "And above all, I need a fighter. Then I watched your eyes and your hands. The first were direct and yet they were alert. And your hands were perfectly steady." "Qualifications for a fighter, eh?" "Do you wish further proof?" "Well?" "What of the fight to the death which you went through this same night?" Donnegan started.
In the morning, at the first touch of light, he had gone to the stores and collected provisions. And a comfortable breakfast followed. "Godwin," resumed Donnegan, "was talented in many ways." The big man showed his teeth in silence; for since Godwin proposed the sacrifice of the servant to preserve himself, George had apparently altered his opinion of the gambler.
Donnegan, by this time, was dead. She began to feel that it would be hard to look Lord Nick in the face again. His other killings had often seemed to her glorious. She had rejoiced in the invincibility of her lover. Now he suddenly took on the aspect of a murderer. She found the house hushed. Perhaps everyone was at the gaming house; for now it was midafternoon.
"But the end of it is, dear" how that small word tore into the heart of Donnegan, who crouched outside "that you must go back tomorrow morning. I'd send you tonight, if I could. As a matter of fact, I don't trust the red-haired rat who " The girl interrupted while Donnegan still had control of his hair-trigger temper. "You forget, Jack. Father sent me here, but he did not tell me to come back."
There was the natural recoil, but in Donnegan recoils were generally protected by several strata of willpower and seldom showed in any physical action. On the present occasion his first dismay was swiftly overwhelmed by a cold anger at the insulting trick.
Nothing balances against work for me." "To balance against work," continued the colonel, raising a white hand and by that gesture crushing the protest of Donnegan, "there is a great reward." "Colonel Macon, I have never worked for money before and I shall not work for it now." "You trouble me with interruptions. Who mentioned money? You shall not have a penny!" "No?"
There were sick faces in that room; men turned their heads, for nothing is so ghastly as the sight of a man who is taking water. "Hush," said Donnegan. "I'm going to kill you, Jack. But I want to kill you fairly and squarely. There's no pleasure, you see, in beating a youngster like you to the draw. I want to give you a fighting chance.
The impetus which had sent him to the floor was used by Donnegan to turn them over, and once fairly on top his left hand was instantly at the throat of Lefty. Twice Lefty made enormous efforts, but then he was done. About his body the limbs of Donnegan were twisted, tightening with incredible force; just as hot iron bands sink resistlessly into place. The strangle-hold cut away life at its source.
But before he had time to prepare himself, the door was cast open and into it, filling it from side to side, stepped Lord Nick. There was no need of an introduction. Donnegan knew him by the aptness with which the name fitted that glorious figure of a man and by the calm, confident eye which now was looking him slowly over, from head to foot. Lord Nick closed the door carefully behind him.
And when she reached her room again her heart was filled with a singing happiness and a glorious knowledge that she had saved the man she loved. And Donnegan himself? He had seen Lou and her father: he had heard that low cry of pain; and now he sat bowed again over his table, his face in his hands and a raging devil in his heart.
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