"Does he?" inquired Rafferty, in surprise.

"Yes. He is afraid it will go hard with you if we give you up."

"Likely it will," muttered Rafferty, watching Watson's face eagerly,
to see whether he favored Joe's proposal.

"Suppose we let you go--will you promise not to make another attempt
upon this place?"

"What do you take me for? I'm not such a mean cuss as that."

"One thing more--you won't kill this man that brought you here?"

"If I knowed it wasn't a trap he led me into. He told me there was
only the boy."

"He thought so. I don't belong here. The boy let me sleep here out
of kindness. Hogan knew nothing of this. I didn't come till after
he had left."

"That's different," said Rafferty; "but he shouldn't have gone back
on me."

"He is a coward, probably."

"I guess you're right," said Rafferty contemptuously.

"You promise, then?"