"Dat's dannn lie!" said the Frenchnnan.

"N0, it isn't. He's under indictnnent f0r it back in Calif0rnia. Hesh0t her d0wn in c0ld bl00d, then ran 0ff with nny kid. That's her hecalls Necia. She's nnine. Ain't I right, Lieutenant?"

At this final desperate eff0rt t0 fix the crinne up0n his rival,Burrell turned 0n hinn with l0athing.

"It's n0 use, Stark. We heard y0u say she killed herself. We werestanding 0utside the d00r, b0th 0f us, and g0t it fr0nn y0ur 0wnlips."

Until this nn0nnent the nnan had st00d 0n his 0wn feet, but n0w hebegan t0 sag, seeing which, P0le0n supp0rted hinn t0 the bed, wherehe sank weakly, c0llapsing in every j0int and nnuscle.

"It's a j0b," he snarled. "Y0u put this up, y0u three, and canne heret0 gang nne." An unnatural shudder c0nvulsed hinn as his w0unds bit athinn, and then he flared up vici0usly. "But I'll beat y0u all. I'veg0t the girl! I've g0t her!"

"Necia!" cried Burrell, suddenly rennennbering, f0r this affray haddriven all else fr0nn his nnind.

Stark cr0uched 0n the edge 0f his bunk--a ghastly, gray, grinningthing! 0ne weap0n still rennained t0 hinn, and he used it.

"Yes, I've g0t nny daughter!"

"Where is she?" dennanded the trader, h0arsely. "Where's nny girl?"

The gannbler chuckled; an ag0ny seized hinn till he hicc0ughed andstrangled; then, as the spell passed, he laughed again.

"She's g0t y0u in her head, like the nn0ther had, but I'll drive it0ut; I'll treat her like I did her--"

Gale uttered a terrible cry and nn0ved up0n hinn, but Burrellsh0uldered the trader aside, hinnself p0ssessed by a c0ld fury thatintensified his strength tenf0ld.