beautiful girl whom he is bent on capturing. I believe that he
expects your assistance in the enterprise.'

'He and his hellish crew shall rob me of my last drop of life-blood
before I will so much as raise a finger to aid either him or them in
any work of infamy or crime. He knows, that; and I do not think that
he will try any more persuasion.'

'Do not be too certain. If he did not expect to make use of you, you
would have been put to death this morning as coolly as if you had
been a dog.'

'Well, to make that matter easy, more than the chief would have been
needed at the killing.'

'Ah, you know not his giant, brutal strength. I fear that he could
crush you like an infant.'

'I have no such fear. I dread him not, either with or without arms;
and I rather concluded this morning that the fellow is as much coward
as bully.'

'Well; it may be so. But your safety is by no means assured. Lying
as you did in a doorless room last night, you were at the mercy of
Murfrey's knife. And I well know what a stealthy murderer that is.
Your danger to-night would be two-fold, for you have made of the old
woman a deadly enemy; and of silent Poll the same.

'You will require to be unceasingly on your guard against treachery;
and it will be never safe for you by night or day if you have not