"Him and me don't want to be left in no
trap with you gone God only knows where."
"I'll send a man to take charge of the keel boat. I can't risk
any more of your bungling, Joe."
"That's all right, but you don't answer my question," persisted
Slosson, with admirable tenacity of purpose.
"What is your question, Joe?"
"A lot can happen between this and midnight--"
"If things go wrong with us there'll be a blaze at the head of
the bayou; does that satisfy you?"
"And what then?"
Murrell hesitated.
"What about the girl?" insisted Slosson, dragging him back to the
point at issue between them. "As a man I wouldn't lift my hand
ag'in' no good looking woman except like I said--in kindness, but
she can't be turned loose, she knows too much. What's the word,
Captain--you say it!" he urged. He made a gesture of appeal to
Ware.
"Look for the light; better still, look for the man I'll send."
And with this Murrell would have turned away, but Slosson
detained him.
"Who'll he be?"
"Some fellow who knows the river."
"And if it's the light?" asked the tavern-keeper in a hoarse
undertone. Again he looked toward Ware, who, dry-lipped and
ashen, was regarding him steadfastly. Glance met glance, for a
brief instant they looked deep into each other's eyes and then
the hand Slosson had rested on Murrell's shoulder dropped at his
side.
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE JUDGE MEETS THE SITUATION
The judge's and Mr. Mahaffy's celebration of the former's
rehabilitated credit had occupied the shank of the evening, the
small hours of the night, and that part of the succeeding day
which the southwest described as soon in the morning; and as the
stone jug, in which were garnered the spoils of the highly
confidential but entirely misleading conversation which the judge
had held with Mr.
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