Page:MacLeod Raine - The Sheriff's Son.djvu/325

 "I'm an old man, Mr. Beaudry. I ain't got many years—"

"Have you made your choice?" cut in Roy coldly.

"I'd do anything you say—go anywhere—give my Bible oath never to come back."

"Perhaps I'd better call Rutherford."

The bad man made a trembling clutch toward him. "Don't you, Mr. Beaudry. I 'll—I 'll go into the pit," he sobbed.

"Get in, then."

"I know you would n't leave me there to starve. That would be an awful thing to do," the killer begged.

"You 're finding that out late. It did n't worry you when Dave Dingwell was being starved."

"I had n't a thing to do with that—not a thing, Mr. Beaudry. Hal Rutherford, he give the order and it was up to me to go through. Honest, that was the way of it."

"And you could starve a girl who needed your help. That was all right, of course."

"Mr. Beaudry, I—I was only learning her a lesson—just kinder playing, y' understand. Why, I 've knowed Miss Beulah ever since she was a little bit of a trick. I would n't