Marette's fingers tightened on Kent's arm. And Kent went on.
"And the constable never forgot, Gray Goose. He wanted the day to come when he might repay. And the time came. It was years later, and it worked out in a curious way. A man was murdered. And the constable, who had become a sergeant now, had talked with the dead man only a little while before he was killed. Returning for something he had forgotten, it was the sergeant who found him dead. Very shortly afterward a man was arrested. There was blood on his clothing. The evidence was convincing, deadly. And this man--"
Kent paused, and in the darkness Marette's hand crept down his arm to his hand, and her fingers closed round it.
"Was the man you lied to save," she whispered.
"Yes. When the halfbreed's bullet got me, I thought it was a good chance to repay Sandy McTrigger for what he did for me in that tent years before. But it wasn't heroic. It wasn't even brave. I thought I was going to die and that I was risking nothing."
And then there came a soft, joyous little laugh from where her head lay on the pillow. "And all the time you were lying so splendidly, Jeems--I KNEW," she cried. "I knew that you didn't kill Barkley, and I knew that you weren't going to die, and I knew what happened in that tent ten years ago. And--Jeems--Jeems--"
She raised herself from the pillow. Her breath was coming a little excitedly. Both her hands, instead of one, were gripping his hand now. "I knew that you didn't kill John Barkley," she repeated. "And--SANDY MCTRIGGER DIDN'T KILL HIM!"
"But--"
"He DIDN'T," she interrupted him, almost fiercely. "He was innocent, as innocent as you were. Jeems--I Jeems--I know who killed Barkley. Oh, I KNOW--I KNOW!"
A choking sob came into her throat, and then she added, in a voice which she was straining to make calm, "Don't think that I haven't faith in you because I can't tell you more now, Jeems," she said. "You will understand--quite soon. When we are safe from the Police, I shall tell you. I shall keep nothing from you then. I shall tell you about Barkley, and Kedsty--everything. But I can't now. It won't be long. When you tell me we are safe, I shall believe you. And then--" She withdrew her hands from his and dropped back on her pillow.
"And then--what?" he asked, leaning far over.