Mr. Jonas.
'Mother hag,' he went on to say,' I do not think that I can offer
you any more grace. The attempt to bury me alive I attribute to your
charitable brain. I suppose you think that you have me at your power
now that you have deprived me of a sleeping room. Well, these are my
terms, dear old lady: unless you give me up your bedroom, which is
substantial enough for my needs, I shall shoot you the first slant I
get. Then I can hold my own against this precious preacher of the Don
here and his confederates. But should the strain of holding my life
against these prove too great I shall fall back in good order into
the wood, and make my way to the nearest magistrate, where I will
render myself up.'
'You seem to have forgotten,' he went on, with a peculiar voice,
'that if I choose to turn King's evidence against you all that the
den contains will be unearthed while I go free.'
Every word of this harangue had been heard by the robber chief, who
was returning from his expedition, but whose footsteps were so
noiseless that they could not be heard.
CHAPTER XI.
SCENES LEADING TO THE CLIMAX.
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