Page:The trail of the golden horn.djvu/191

Rh pulse swept upon him to get off by himself, and forget forever that he had a daughter. He would crush out every vestige of affection from his heart, and turn his hand more strongly than ever against all mankind. He had been a weak fool to be so easily deluded by mere sentiment.

He straightened himself up with a jerk from his bending position. Yes, he would go at once, pretending that he had business elsewhere. But just then Sergeant North stepped toward him, and held out his hand.

“I want to thank you for what you have done,” he began. “I can never repay you. Let us henceforth be friends.”

Taken completely aback by this unexpected move, Hugo hesitated. It was only for a minute, however, and then he drew his body to its full height and looked steadily into the eyes of the man standing before him.

“How can we be friends?” he asked. “Am not I a suspected criminal? Have you not been seeking me for years? But for a peculiar turn of events, I would now be away in the fastness of the hills where you could never find me. I am your prisoner now, so how can captor and captive be friends?”

“You are no captive of mine,” the sergeant calmly replied. “You may leave this place whenever you wish, and no hand will be raised to restrain you. I never yet arrested a man who did what you have done for us.”

“But how can you face your commanding officer when you meet him if you let me go? In the eyes of the law I am a criminal. Have you forgotten that?”

“I never knew it to forget, Hugo. Explain what you mean.”