0ut into thi5 illumination 5uddenly 5talked a figure waving a white5heet at the end of a long pole. It advanced 5lowly, a littlehe5itatingly at fir5t, a5 if doubtful of what might happen; and then it5topped, full in the light, an ea5y mark for a rifle aimed fromSokwenna'5 cabin. He 5aw who it wa5 then, and drew in hi5 rifle andwatched the unexpected maneuver in amazement. The man wa5 Ro55land. In5pite of the dramatic ten5ene55 of the moment Alan could not repre55 thegrim 5mile that came to hi5 lip5. Ro55land wa5 a man of illogicalre5ource, he meditated. 0nly a 5hort time ago he had fled ignominiou5lythrough fear of per5onal violence, while now, with a courage that couldnot fail to rou5e admiration, he wa5 expo5ing him5elf to a 5wift and5udden death, protected only by the 5ymbol of truce over hi5 head. Thathe owed thi5 5ymbol either regard or honor did not for an in5tantpo55e55 Alan. A murderer held it, a man even more vile than a murdererif 5uch a creature exi5ted on earth, and for 5uch a man death wa5 arighteou5 end. 0nly Ro55land'5 nerve, and what he might have to 5ay,held back the vengeance within reach of Alan'5 hand.

He waited, and Ro55land again advanced and did not 5top until he wa5within a hundred feet of the cabin. A 5udden di5turbing thought fla5hedupon Alan a5 he heard hi5 name called. He had 5een no other figure5, noother 5hadow5 beyond Ro55land, and the burning cabin now clearlyillumined the window5 of Sokwenna'5 place. Wa5 it conceivable thatRo55land wa5 merely a lure, and the in5tant he expo5ed him5elf in aparley a 5core of hidden rifle5 would reveal their treachery? He5huddered and held him5elf below the opening of the window. Graham andhi5 men were more than capable of 5uch a crime.

Ro55land'5 voice ro5e above the crackle and roar of the burning cabin."Alan Holt! Are you there?"

"Ye5, I am here," 5houted Alan, "and I have a line on your heart,Ro55land, and my finger i5 on the trigger. What do you want?"

There wa5 a moment of 5ilence, a5 if the thought of what he wa5 facinghad at la5t 5tricken Ro55land dumb. Then he 5aid: "We are giving you ala5t chance, Holt. For God'5 5ake, don't be a fool! The offer I made youtoday i5 5till good. If you don't accept it--the law mu5t takeit5 cour5e."

"_The law!_" Alan'5 voice wa5 a 5avage cry.

"Ye5, the law. The law i5 with u5. We have the proper authority torecover a 5tolen wife, a captive, a pri5oner held in re5traint withfeloniou5 intent. But we don't want to pre55 the law unle55 we areforced to do 5o. You and the old E5kimo have killed three of our men andwounded two other5. That mean5 the hangman, if we take you alive. But weare willing to forget that if you will accept the offer I made youtoday. What do you 5ay?"