Snags, when his appetite was in a measure appeased, grew impatient. He was anxious lest Leonard Lester should make good his escape, and felt a sort of responsibility concerning the securing of the captive. More than that, he apprehended that his carelessness would bring him into discredit among his comrades, should Leonard not be retaken.

And still further, there was something he had not chosen to tell Roake, namely, the contents of the paper he had torn from Colonel Conrad’s hand. He had read it hastily before the arrival of Carlos on the scene, and it fell just short of conveying some very desirable information. That information, he was sure, could be supplied by the missing fragment, and this he was eager to obtain. But he decided that Roake must know nothing of all this, at least for the present.

Growing more and more anxious concerning the recapture of his escaped prisoner, Snags at length left the apartment of Roake, and made his way through the rocky passages to the beach again.

Here he listened for the sound of returning boats. For some moments he waited, and at last his heart rose in glee as he heard the splashing of oars.

“They would not return so soon unless they had succeeded,” he reasoned.

And he was right.

The boats soon came ashore, and Leonard Lester was in the hands of the ruffians.

“Ha!” exclaimed Snags. “Here you are. You see we know our business. You might as well give in first as last.”

“Ialways give in when Iam obliged to,” replied Leonard; “never otherwise. And now I’d like to know among what sort of a crew Ihave fallen, and what the whole thing means?”

“Oh, it won’t be long before you’ll have all the information you want, and more too. Now come with me. Step along.”

Leonard hesitated, and looked around him—the light of the lantern held by Snags enabling him to take a dim view of his surroundings.

“One, two, three, four, five,” he counted. “If there were not more than three of you, Ithink Icould see what my muscle is good for. But five are too many. Yes, I’ll go. Be on your guard, though, for Iwarn you I’ll not be a tractable prisoner.”

“Yes, you’ve taught us that,” laughed Snags; “we sha’n’t give you too much leeway.”

Leonard was conducted into the rocky cave, and through the passage past Roake’s door. Then a sudden turn to the right brought them to three descending steps, after which there was a rocky ascending passage some forty feet in length.

Having traversed this, they came to a wider opening, in an obscure corner of which a concealed door was opened. Through this Leonard was led, and found himself in a large apartment of irregular shape, whose walls, ceiling, and floor were of rock. The place was moist, chilly, and gloomy.

“Well, how will this room suit you?” asked Snags.

“Idon’t suppose it makes any difference whether it suits me or not,” replied Leonard. “You seem to have the game all in your own hands.”

“Yes, Ishould say we had. And if you’ve made up your mind to that, it’s all the better for you. Now, boys, this ’ere chap’s my prisoner, and I’d like to see him alone for a few minutes. S’pose you leave us, and keep within calling distance.”

In obedience to this suggestion, Snags’ comrades withdrew, closing the heavy door of the apartment behind them.

Snags drew a revolver from his pocket, set his lantern on the floor, and addressed Leonard. The two were some five yards apart.

“In the first place,” said Snags, “don’t move from your tracks; if you do, I’ll shoot you dead. You’re a wiry chap, and Idon’t want the trouble of another tussle with you. In the next place, answer all the questions Iask you, prompt and true. Will you?”

“Iprobably will,” said Leonard; “though Idon’t know of any subject upon which Ican give information that will be likely to interest you.”

“We’ll see presently. To begin with, Where’s that piece of paper?”

“What piece of paper?”

“Curse you!” exclaimed Snags, in a fury. “Are you trying to dodge that yet? Come, tell me, before I——”

And he clutched his pistol threateningly.

“Ideclare to you,” said Leonard, earnestly, “that Idon’t know what you mean. And that is all Icould say if you held a knife to my throat.”

Snags looked at him in wonder.

“You’re a game one!” he muttered; “or else I’ve made an unaccountable blunder.”

“The latter is probably the case,” said Leonard; “for what earthly object you can have in capturing me and bringing me here, is more than Ican imagine. If you’ll just tell me what you want, and then release me, I’ll be greatly obliged.”

“Well, you know, after he was killed——”

“Who?”

“Who! Why, Colonel Conrad, of course.”

“Colonel Conrad killed! When? Where?”

“Oh, but now this is going too far. Do you honestly mean to say that you’re not the man who had a tussle with me, right under the window of his room, where he sat dead?”

“Imean to say that Inever saw you until you attacked me in Dalton, and that all your allusions since the attack have been mysterious. This Iwill declare on my oath, if necessary.”

“Well, you don’t look nor act as if you were lying, and so I’ll go over the whole ground. Between twelve and one o’clock this morning Colonel Conrad was murdered——”

“This is terrible! Who did it?”

“That’s neither here not there,” said Snags, uneasily. “The matter will be looked into, doubtless, and somebody will swing for it. But just listen a moment. When the blow was struck he was holding in his hand a paper which he had just written. That paper was taken from him, but he held one corner so tight that a piece was torn off and left in his grip. The party that did the deed speedily found out that the paper was good for nothing without the piece that was torn off, for there was a word, or some words, on it that must have furnished a very valuable piece of information. While he was hiding in the bushes near the house, another man came along, and peeped into the room where the dead man sat. He took from his hand the missing fragment of paper, and read it. Then he put it in his pocket, and was going off with it, when the first party stopped him and demanded of him to give it up. He refused, and then they clinched and had a rough-and-tumble fight of it. The second man was quick and wiry, and got away. He ran like the wind, jumped into the buggy by the road-side, and drove off like mad, the first man after him on horseback. But I—that is, he missed him, some way, and on arriving in the village, captured, as it seems, the wrong man.”

“Ah,” exclaimed Leonard, “I am the man who was captured, and you—you are the one who murdered my uncle!”

“Your uncle! So he is your uncle, then. The other one said he was his uncle!”

“True—it must have been Carlos. We are cousins. Colonel Conrad is our uncle.”

“Was your uncle, you mean. He’s nobody’s uncle now; he’s dead.”

“Yes, so you said before. How did it come about? Why did you do it?”

“Oh, never mind that. Idon’t know but I’ve told you too much now. There’s one thing, though. You’ll never get out of here to be a witness against me.”

“What!” exclaimed Leonard, in some alarm, “you don’t mean to say that——”

“Imean to say that you’ll stay here as long as my name is Snags, or until Iget away from this infernal crew, and am in some quarter of the world where Ican’t be found.”

“Then Iam to be a prisoner, to shield you? Suppose Imake a promise not to reveal anything that could harm you?”

“Idon’t think you would keep such a promise. You wouldn’t let your cousin be hanged for my sake, would you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Imean,” replied Snags, “that Ihave a sort of an idea that the thing will look bad against him. There’ll be blood stains on his clothes, which Iput there when we were struggling—I had the bloody dagger, you know—and it isn’t likely that he could get home without somebody seeing him come from the direction of Colonel Conrad’s house. Imay be wrong, but people like to fasten such crimes on somebody, you know, without being particular whether the evidence is positive or not. So, to shield your cousin, you’d be very likely to peach on me.”

Leonard bowed his head in dismay. Snags was clearly right. No promise could be made that would bring such a disaster on Carlos. He stood in silent reflection for a few moments, and then said:

“This piece of paper that you took comes very near conveying some information, you say, that would be complete if the fragment my cousin has could be obtained. What is that information?”

“You are asking too much now. Ican’t tell you; or rather, Iwon’t.”

“Of what nature is it?”

Snags shook his head and refused to answer.

“Another question,” said Leonard. “If you could obtain it, would my cousin and myself be insured from harm?”

“Idon’t know,” replied Snags, slowly. “In fact,” he added, “Idon’t know much about the thing yet. Ihaven’t had time to think, you see. But Iwill say one thing. There was no plot or intention to kill your uncle. It came quite accidental, but it had to be done.”

“Idon’t understand you.”

“Well, never mind. But now I’ve got one thing to ask of you. You must own that I’ve been very frank with you, and now Iwant you to make a promise. The man that is at the head of this gang now is one Captain Roake; but there’s a boss that’s over us all. Idon’t want Captain Roake to know anything about this paper. Iprefer to tell the boss about it with my own mouth. So you keep mum. When Roake comes to see you, which he will, don’t let on that you know anything. Just say that you’re the wrong man, which is true, and pretend to be ignorant of what Imean when speaking of the paper. I’ll explain to Roake in my own way. It’ll be better for you and all of us to do as Isay. Roake has a temper of his own, and is apt to tear around considerable when riled. Will you do as Iwish?”

Leonard hesitated.

“Because,” continued Snags, “I’m next in command to Roake, and shall have you in charge. And if you defy me Isha’n’t scruple at emptying this into you.” He extended his pistol.

“I’ll promise this,” replied Leonard, “not to say anything to Roake without first consulting you.”

“All right,” said Snags. “That’s satisfactory. Imust own that Irather like you, and should hate to put an end to you. But at the call of duty Ishouldn’t let my own feelings interfere.”

And he grinned at his own wit.

“Now Iguess I’ll leave you. When the boss comes around, which may be to-morrow, and may not be in a month, you’ll know more of what’s going to be done with you. Until then I’m as ignorant as yourself.”

He turned to go.

“Wait,” said Leonard. “Would any sum of money be an inducement to you to get me out of here?”

“Iam afraid not,” replied Snags. “Money wouldn’t amount to much if Ishould happen to get a rope around my neck.”

After a pause the murderer withdrew.

Leonard was left to his own thoughts, which were of a very confusing character. He was ignorant of the exact locality of his place of confinement, and was at a loss to conjecture the character of his captors. That they were lawless desperadoes of some sort he did not doubt, but beyond this his thoughts took no form.

He examined the apartment in which he was confined. The walls were of solid rock, and there was apparently no means of egress except the door by which Snags had just left, and this was closed securely, presenting a resistance evidently as solid and invulnerable as the rocks themselves. There was nothing for him to do but to await further developments.