"Do it 'urt you?" Jim Cardegee thundered suddenly, looking up from the spreading of his blankets and encountering the rapt gaze of the other."It strikes me as 'ow it 'ud be the proper thing for you to draw your jib, douse the glim, an' turn in, seein' as 'ow it worrits you.Jes' lay to that, you swab, or so 'elp me I'll take a pull on your peak-purchases!"Kent was so nervous that it took three puffs to blow out the slush-lamp, and he crawled into his blankets without even removing his moccasins.The sailor was soon snoring lustily from his hard bed on the floor, but Kent lay staring up into the blackness, one hand on the shotgun, resolved not to close his eyes the whole night.He had not had an opportunity to secrete his five pounds of gold, and it lay in the ammunition box at the head of his bunk.
But, try as he would, he at last dozed off with the weight of his dust heavy on his soul.Had he not inadvertently fallen asleep with his mind in such condition, the somnambulic demon would not have been invoked, nor would Jim Cardegee have gone mining next day with a dish-pan.
The fire fought a losing battle, and at last died away, while the frost penetrated the mossy chinks between the logs and chilled the inner atmosphere.The dogs outside ceased their howling, and, curled up in the snow, dreamed of salmon-stocked heavens where dog-drivers and kindred task-masters were not.Within, the sailor lay like a log, while his host tossed restlessly about, the victim of strange fantasies.As midnight drew near he suddenly threw off the blankets and got up.It was remarkable that he could do what he then did without ever striking a light.Perhaps it was because of the darkness that he kept his eyes shut, and perhaps it was for fear he would see the terrible gash on the cheek of his visitor;but, be this as it may, it is a fact that, unseeing, he opened his ammunition box, put a heavy charge into the muzzle of the shotgun without spilling a particle, rammed it down with double wads, and then put everything away and got back into bed.
Just as daylight laid its steel-gray fingers on the parchment window, Jacob Kent awoke.Turning on his elbow, he raised the lid and peered into the ammunition box.Whatever he saw, or whatever he did not see, exercised a very peculiar effect upon him, considering his neurotic temperament.He glanced at the sleeping man on the floor, let the lid down gently, and rolled over on his back.It was an unwonted calm that rested on his face.Not a muscle quivered.There was not the least sign of excitement or perturbation.He lay there a long while, thinking, and when he got up and began to move about, it was in a cool, collected manner, without noise and without hurry.
It happened that a heavy wooden peg had been driven into the ridge-pole just above Jim Cardegee's head.Jacob Kent, working softly, ran a piece of half-inch manila over it, bringing both ends to the ground.One end he tied about his waist, and in the other he rove a running noose.Then he cocked his shotgun and laid it within reach, by the side of numerous moose-hide thongs.
By an effort of will he bore the sight of the scar, slipped the noose over the sleeper's head, and drew it taut by throwing back on his weight, at the same time seizing the gun and bringing it to bear.
Jim Cardegee awoke, choking, bewildered, staring down the twin wells of steel.
"Where is it?" Kent asked, at the same time slacking on the rope.
"You blasted--ugh--"
Kent merely threw back his weight, shutting off the other's wind.
"Bloomin'--Bur--ugh--"
"Where is it?" Kent repeated.
"Wot?" Cardegee asked, as soon as he had caught his breath.
"The gold-dust."
"Wot gold-dust?" the perplexed sailor demanded.
"You know well enough,--mine."
"Ain't seen nothink of it.Wot do ye take me for? A safe-deposit? Wot 'ave I got to do with it, any'ow?""Mebbe you know, and mebbe you don't know, but anyway, I'm going to stop your breath till you do know.And if you lift a hand, I'll blow your head off!""Vast heavin'!" Cardegee roared, as the rope tightened.
Kent eased away a moment, and the sailor, wriggling his neck as though from the pressure, managed to loosen the noose a bit and work it up so the point of contact was just under the chin.
"Well?" Kent questioned, expecting the disclosure.
But Cardegee grinned."Go ahead with your 'angin', you bloomin'
old pot-wolloper!"
Then, as the sailor had anticipated, the tragedy became a farce.
Cardegee being the heavier of the two, Kent, throwing his body backward and down, could not lift him clear of the ground.Strain and strive to the uttermost, the sailor's feet still stuck to the floor and sustained a part of his weight.The remaining portion was supported by the point of contact just under his chin.
Failing to swing him clear, Kent clung on, resolved to slowly throttle him or force him to tell what he had done with the hoard.
But the Man with the Gash would not throttle.Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed, and at the end of that time, in despair, Kent let his prisoner down.
"Well," he remarked, wiping away the sweat, "if you won't hang you'll shoot.Some men wasn't born to be hanged, anyway.""An' it's a pretty mess as you'll make o' this 'ere cabin floor."Cardegee was fighting for time."Now, look 'ere, I'll tell you wot we do; we'll lay our 'eads 'longside an' reason together.