“I’m glad for Winnsome’s sake,” said Neil, after a moment.  “Oh, if you’d only killed Strang!”

Nathaniel thought of what Marion had said to him in the forest.

“Neil,” he said quietly, “do you know that Winnsome loves you—­not as the little girl whom you toted about on your shoulders—­but as a woman?  Do you know that?” In the other’s silence he added, “When I last saw Marion she sent this message to you—­’Tell Neil that he must go, for Winnsome’s sake.  Tell him that her fate is shortly to be as cruel as mine—­tell him that Winnsome loves him and that she will escape and come to him on the mainland.’” Like words of fire they had burned themselves in his brain and as Nathaniel repeated them he thought of that other broken heart that had sobbed out its anguish to him in the castle chamber.  “Neil, a man can die easier when he knows that a woman loves him!”

He had risen to his feet and was walking back and forth through the thick gloom.

“I’m glad!” Neil’s voice came to him softly, as though he scarcely dared to speak the words aloud.  After a moment he added, “Have you got a pencil, Nat?  I would like to leave a little note for Winnsome.”

Nathaniel found both pencil and paper in one of his pockets and Neil dropped upon his knees in the mud beside the table.  Ten minutes later he turned to Nathaniel and a great change had come into his face.

“She always seemed like such a little child to me that I never dared—­to—­tell her,” he faltered.  “I’ve done it in this.”

“How will you get the note to her?”

“I know the jailer.  Perhaps when he comes to bring us our dinner I can persuade him to send it to her.”

Nathaniel thrust his hands into his pockets.  His fingers dug into Obadiah’s gold.

“Would this help?” he asked.

He brought out a shimmering handful of it and counted the pieces upon the table.

“Two hundred dollars—­if he will deliver that note,” he said.

Neil stared at him in amazement.

“If he won’t take it for that—­I’ve got more.  I’ll go a thousand!”

Neil stood silent, wondering if his companion was mad.  Nathaniel saw the look in his face and his own flushed with sudden excitement.

“Don’t you understand?” he cried.  “That note means Heaven or hell for Winnsome—­it means life—­her whole future!  And you know what this cell means for us,” he said more calmly.  “It means that we’re at the end of our rope, that the game is up, that neither of us will ever see Marion or Winnsome again.  That note is the last word in life from us—­from you.  It’s a dying prayer.  Tell Winnsome your love, tell her that it is your last wish that she go out into the big, free world—­away from this hell-hole, away from Strang, away from the Mormons, and live as other women live!  And commanded by your love—­she will go!”

“I’ve told her that!” breathed Neil.

“I knew you would!”