You are a mere soldier of fortune, an
adventurer. Good! Then it is certainly to your interest to be on the
winning side. What did Neale, and that other fellow--Vail--offer?"
I sat looking at him steadily for a moment. That he was a shrewd,
scheming villain I had no doubt, but the one question which controlled
my answer was the thought of how I could best serve her. If I followed
my inclination, told him frankly that I had already deserted my
allegiance to those men in the North, and only remained loyal to the
woman, the confession would possibly react upon us both. We would be
held prisoners indefinitely. If, on the other hand, I appeared to
hesitate, a way of service might be opened before me, and, with it, a
path to freedom, for us both. The decision had to be made quickly.
"Never mind the sum," I said soberly. "I am not altogether mercenary,
although I need money. I 'll say this, however, and you can take it
for what it may be worth. I originally came into this game believing I
was doing a kindness to a helpless man who was being defrauded of his
rights. There is no necessity of my going into details, but Neale told
me an apparently straight story, and convinced me my part was a mere
form. Later I learned different, and promptly quit.
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