“Now, how be ye goin’ to get back to Sevenoaks?” inquired Jim.

“I don’t know.  The man who brought me in is not to come for me for a fortnight.”

“Then ye’ve got to huff it,” responded Jim.

“It’s a long way.”

“Ye can do it as fur as Mike’s, an’ he’ll be glad to git back some o’ the hundred dollars that old Belcher got out of him.”

“The row and the walk will be too much.”

“I’ll take ye to the landing,” said Jim.

“I shall be glad to pay you for the job,” responded Yates.

“An’ ef ye do,” said Jim, “there’ll be an accident, an’ two men’ll get wet, an’ one on ’em’ll stan’ a chance to be drownded.”

“Well, have your own way,” said Yates.

It was not yet noon, and Jim hurried off his visitor.  Yates bade good-bye to Benedict, jumped into Jim’s boat, and was soon out of sight down the stream.  The boat fairly leaped through the water under Jim’s strong and steady strokes, and it seemed that only an hour had passed when the landing was discovered.

They made the whole distance in silence.  Jim, sitting at his oars, with Yates in the stern, had watched the lawyer with a puzzled expression.  He could not read him.  The man had not said a word about Benedict.  He had not once pronounced his name.  He was evidently amused with something, and had great difficulty in suppressing a smile.  Again and again the amused expression suffused the lawyer’s face, and still, by an effort of will, it was smothered.  Jim was in torture.  The man seemed to be in possession of some great secret, and looked as if he only waited an opportunity beyond observation to burst into a laugh.

“What the devil ye thinkin’ on?” inquired Jim at last.

Yates looked him in the eyes, and replied coolly: 

“I was thinking how well Benedict is looking.”

Jim stopped rowing, holding his oars in the air.  He was dumb.  His face grew almost livid, and his hair seemed to rise and stand straight all over his head.  His first impulse was to spring upon the man and throttle him, but a moment’s reflection determined him upon another course.  He let his oars drop into the water, and then took up the rifle, which he always carried at his side.  Raising it to his eye, he said: 

“Now, Number ‘leven, come an’ take my seat.  Ef ye make any fuss, I’ll tip ye into the river, or blow yer brains out.  Any man that plays traitor with Jim Fenton, gits traitor’s fare.”

Yates saw that he had made a fatal mistake, and that it was too late to correct it.  He saw that Jim was dangerously excited, and that it would not do to excite him further.  He therefore rose, and with feigned pleasantry, said he should be very glad to row to the landing.

Jim passed him and took a seat in the stern of the boat.  Then, as Yates took up the oars, Jim raised his rifle, and, pointing it directly at the lawyer’s breast, said: