eyes, nose and mouth.

He stood perfectly still; the shock was so sudden. There was something
determined and deadly in the pose of the figure before him, in the touch
of the weapon, in the clearness of the light. His eyes dropped, and
fixed involuntarily upon the lantern.

He had a revolver with him; but it was useless to attempt to defend
himself with it. Not a word had been spoken. Presently, with the
fingers that held the lantern, his assailant made a motion of Hands up!
There was no reason why he should risk his life without a chance of
winning, so he put up his hands. At another motion he drew out the bag
of gold with his left hand, and, obeying the direction of another
gesture, dropped it on the ground. There was a pause, then another
gesture, which he pretended not to understand.

"Your pistol!" said the voice in a whisper through the mask.

He felt the cold steel at his forehead press a little closer; he also
felt how steady it was. He was no fool. He had been in trouble before
in his lifetime; he drew out the pistol, and passed it, handle first, to
three fingers stretched out from the dark lantern.

The figure moved to where the money and the pistol were, and said, in a
whisper still:

"Go!"

He had one moment of wild eagerness to try his luck in a sudden assault,
but that passed as suddenly as it came; and with the pistol still