LITMIR.BIZ

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do you mean by conceding everything so far?” I demanded.

      O’Grady shook his head, and sobered down.

      “That’ be tellin’, me lad! I’m going to win out yet, y’ know; and hanged if I’m not sorry to beat you in the way I’ll have to! But I’ll beat you.” For a moment he regarded me with an air that was very serious, not unmixed with a trace of mournful regret. “Breck, hang it all, I want to see you win! You’re a white man. I like ye fine. But, me lad, that five thousand quid means a big stake to me. It means that I have a chance to get out o’ the hole of my own folly. I’m going to beat you, me lad, and sorry I am to do it, remember that!”

      With this speech, the strange fellow turned and left us. What he meant by his words, how he still expected to beat me, I did not know; but I perceived that he was driven by an uneasy devil in this matter. At any cost, he had to win out. It meant everything to him.

      The others saw the same thing.

      “Look out for him,” said French quietly. “He’s clever, and dangerous.”

      “So I’ve found,” was my dry response. “But he’ll keep his word, never fear! I’d have bribed him over to my side before this, except that his word to his employers meant more than money to him. Then, French, not matter what happens, you’re with Kohler?”

      “Yes.”

      “Don’t tell me the formula unless you want to. If you prefer—”

      “I’ll tell you here and now,” he returned. “Janey, dear, watch at the door, will you?”

      So the matter was ended, so far as I was concerned; that document written in red ideographs had given French implicit trust in me—rather, the seal had done so. I had the formula, and I committed it to memory.

      The game was won, I knew at last. And yet, even as I sat there, the fruits of victory were fast being lost to me, had I but realized it.

      VIII

      Evening was upon us, and I anticipated an early retirement and a long sleep. I had no fear of any action on the part of O’Grady, for he would keep his word until we had left here at least. Later, undoubtedly, he would make trouble.

      Yu had visited the village and must have thrown a healthy scare into French’s servants, for half a dozen of them showed up, unpacked some of the bags, and all four of us dined together in good style.

      After dinner I sought out Yu, who was staggering with weariness.

      “Go and sleep,” I told him. “I don’t think Schneider is coming at all, or he’d have been along before this; and if he does come, he can’t do anything. Our own party of men will be here tomorrow, too. So turn in and get a good night’s rest. You’ve earned it.”

      The whole crowd of us were dead beat, to tell the truth. More than once I noted that O’Grady had lost his airy manner and wore a mien of frowning preoccupation, as though he were inwardly much perturbed about something. We said an early goodnight to the Frenches, and retired to the smaller building across the courtyard. As we undressed, O’Grady turned to me.

      “Breck,” he said, “I did something today for which I’m cursed sorry. It can’t be undone now, however. I’ve been sorry, for that matter, ever since I’ve been in this damned game; I’m playing a renegade’s part, and it doesn’t fit me dev’lish easy, I can tell you, me lad! But I’ll have to stick by my mistakes; that’s the hell of it, and leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Good night to ye, and pleasanter dreams than I’ll be havin’.”

      He rolled up in his blankets. I was too weary to ponder much over his words, although I could see that something was astir within him. Two minutes afterward, I had turned out the lamp and was asleep as soon as I hit the blankets.

      Day had broken again before I wakened; but this wakening of mine was a most uneasy and singular one. I tried to move, and could not. I opened my eyes and stared around, found that I was indeed awake, yet could not stir a muscle. When I glanced down at myself, I perceived the reason.

      I was neatly trussed up in my own blankets, roped like a sack of beans!

      Astonishment seized upon me, and anger. My first thought was that O’Grady had broken faith; but a moment later his voice came to me, and at the whimsical drawl I twisted myself around and felt new bewilderment.

      “Faith, have ye waked up at last? The top o’ the mornin’ to ye, Breck!”

      There lay O’Grady, in like plight to my own!

      “What’s it mean?” I demanded hotly. “If you haven’t done this—?”

      The Irishman chuckled, but there was a glint of anger in his eye.

      “Not guilty,” he answered. “You know what that poor devil in the Old Testament was always doin’—digging pits all over Palestine and then fallin’ into them himself? Well, me lad, that’s just what I’ve done.”

      I stared at him.

      “What d’you mean, O’Grady? For the love of Mike, what has happened?”

      “Schneider.”

      “Schneider!” I repeated blankly. “But how—?”

      “Faith, I have only meself to blame,” he said bitterly. “You remember how I sent off those two Japs? I ordered ’em to double back, find Schneider, and bring him on here; that I’d go partners with him to beat you. That’s all. The filthy blackguard must ha’ scragged my men and come along on his own. He jumped us last night.”

      I lay silent, as comprehension came to me.

      Schneider had been discounted, thought out of the running entirely; but O’Grady had made a desperate effort to beat me at the last with his help. Now Schneider had come, and had tied us up while we slept in exhaustion; and O’Grady would be calmly ignored. He had leaned on a rotten reed in trusting Schneider.

      “You’ve played hell,” I said. “Where’s Yu?”

      “Don’t know. Skipped out, I fancy, or caught asleep.” O’Grady’s features brightened a trifle. “Schneider won’t pay any attention to Yu. He may lend us a hand yet—though from the sounds I believe Schneider has a number of men with him.”

      I had no particular hope in Yu, however, at this juncture. Schneider seemed to hold the whip-hand, and now it was only a question of what terms he would propose. Here in this mountain district he could commit any crime with impunity, and there was none to withstand him.

      Five minutes afterward, Schneider himself came into the room. With him were two villainous-looking men, who drew knives and slashed rather recklessly at our bonds. Schneider himself drew a pistol, sat down on a pile of mule-trappings, and regarded us with a sleeky benevolent air.

      “Sit up, gentlemen, but do not stand, I pray,” he said. One of the Chinese remained at the door, the other disappeared. “Well, well! So glad to see you again, Mr. Breck! And you, Mr. O’Grady! Pleasant day outside, I assure you.”

      I sat up. O’Grady, rubbing his chafed wrists, chuckled.

      “You’re not goin’ partners with me, Schneider?”

      The other laughed softly.

      “With you? Not in the least! It was very kind of you to bring me here—”

      O’Grady, with absolutely no warning whatever, hurled himself forward. He had caught up the slashed thongs, and flung them into Schneider’s face to embarrass the man’s aim; then he was plunging across the floor with a stupendous display of agility.

      The effort almost succeeded, but it was desperate and a fraction too slow. Schneider cursed and fired, fired again, then jerked up his pistol to cover me, a snarl on his lips. By the time the Chinaman from the doorway had leaped into the room, it was over. O’Grady lay motionless.

      “Look at him, Breck,” said Schneider calmly: “I don’t

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