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helping youI； who know her so well。〃
Mason's face was red； and his eyes burned。 In the midst of it all
he dropped his hands and went over to the fire。 Samuel Walcott
arose； panting； and stood looking at Mason； with his hands behind
him on the table。 The naturally strong nature and the rigid school
in which the man had been trained presently began to tell。 His
composure in part returned and he thought rapidly。 What did this
strange man know？ Was he simply making shrewd guesses； or had he
some mysterious knowledge of this matter？ Walcott could not know
that Mason meant only Fate； that he believed her to be his great
enemy。 Walcott had never before doubted his own ability to meet
any emergency。 This mighty jerk had carried him off his feet。 He
was unstrung and panic…stricken。 At any rate this man had promised
help。 He would take it。 He put the paper and envelope carefully
into his pocket； smoothed out his rumpled coat； and going over to
Mason touched him on the shoulder。
〃Come；〃 he said； 〃if you are to help me we must go。〃
The man turned and followed him without a word。 In the hall Mason
put on his hat and overcoat； and the two went out into the street。
Walcott hailed a cab； and the two were driven to his house on the
avenue。 Walcott took out his latchkey； opened the door； and led
the way into the library。 He turned on the light and motioned
Mason to seat himself at the table。 Then he went into another room
and presently returned with a bundle of papers and a decanter of
brandy。 He poured out a glass of the liquor and offered it to
Mason。 The man shook his head。 Walcott poured the contents of the
glass down his own throat。 Then he set the decanter down and drew
up a chair on the side of the table opposite Mason。
〃Sir；〃 said Walcott； in a voice deliberate； indeed； but as hollow
as a sepulcher； 〃I am done for。 God has finally gathered up the
ends of the net； and it is knotted tight。〃
〃Am I not here to help you？〃 said Mason； turning savagely。 〃I can
beat Fate。 Give me the details of her trap。〃
He bent forward and rested his arms on the table。 His streaked
gray hair was rumpled and on end； and his face was ugly。 For a
moment Walcott did not answer。 He moved a little into the shadow；
then he spread the bundle of old yellow papers out before him。
〃To begin with；〃 he said； 〃I am a living lie； a gilded crime…made
sham； every bit of me。 There is not an honest piece anywhere。 It
is all lie。 I am a liar and a thief before men。 The property
which I possess is not mine； but stolen from a dead man。 The very
name which I bear is not my own； but is the bastard child of a
crime。 I am more than all thatI am a murderer； a murderer before
the law； a murderer before God； and worse than a murderer before
the pure woman whom I love more than anything that God could make。〃
He paused for a moment and wiped the perspiration from his face。
〃Sir；〃 said Mason； 〃this is all drivel； infantile drivel。 What you
are is of no importance。 How to get out is the problem； how to get
out。〃
Samuel Walcott leaned forward； poured out a glass of brandy and
swallowed it。
〃Well；〃 he said； speaking slowly； 〃my right name is Richard Warren。
In the spring of 1879 I came to New York and fell in with the real
Samuel Walcott； a young man with a little money and some property
which his grandfather had left him。 We became friends； and
concluded to go to the far west together。 Accordingly we scraped
together what money we could lay our hands on； and landed in the
gold…mining regions of California。 We were young and
inexperienced； and our money went rapidly。 One April morning we
drifted into a little shack camp； away up in the Sierra Nevadas；
called Hell's Elbow。 Here we struggled and starved for perhaps a
year。 Finally； in utter desperation； Walcott married the daughter
of a Mexican gambler； who ran an eating house and a poker joint。
With them we lived from hand to mouth in a wild God…forsaken way
for several years。 After a time the woman began to take a strange
fancy to me。 Walcott finally noticed it； and grew jealous。
〃One night； in a drunken brawl； we quarreled； and I killed him。 It
was late at night； and； beside the woman； there were four of us in
the poker room；the Mexican gambler； a half…breed devil called
Cherubim Pete； Walcott； and myself。 When Walcott fell； the half…
breed whipped out his weapon； and fired at me across the table； but
the woman； Nina San Croix； struck his arm； and； instead of killing
me； as he intended； the bullet mortally wounded her father； the
Mexican gambler。 I shot the half…breed through the forehead； and
turned round； expecting the woman to attack me。 On the contrary；
she pointed to the window； and bade me wait for her on the cross
trail below。
〃It was fully three hours later before the woman joined me at the
place indicated。 She had a bag of gold dust； a few jewels that
belonged to her father； and a package of papers。 I asked her why
she had stayed behind so long； and she replied that the men were
not killed outright； and that she had brought a priest to them and
waited until they had died。 This was the truth； but not all the
truth。 Moved by superstition or foresight； the woman had induced
the priest to take down the sworn statements of the two dying men；
seal it； and give it to her。 This paper she brought with her。 All
this I learned afterwards。 At the time I knew nothing of this
damning evidence。
〃We struck out together for the Pacific coast。 The country was
lawless。 The privations we endured were almost past belief。 At
times the woman exhibited cunning and ability that were almost
genius； and through it all； often in the very fingers of death； her
devotion to me never wavered。 It was doglike； and seemed to be her
only object on earth。 When we reached San Francisco； the woman put
these papers into my hands。〃 Walcott took up the yellow package；
and pushed it across the table to Mason。
〃She proposed that I assume Walcott's name； and that we come boldly
to New York and claim the property。 I examined the papers； found a
copy of the will by which Walcott inherited the property； a bundle
of correspondence； and sufficient documentary evidence to establish
his identity beyond the shadow of a doubt。 Desperate gambler as I
now was； I quailed before the daring plan of Nina San Croix。 I
urged that I； Richard Warren； would be known； that the attempted
fraud would be detected and would result in investigation； and
perhaps unearth the whole horrible matter。
〃The woman pointed out how much I resembled Walcott； what vast
changes ten years of such life as we had led would naturally be
expected to make in men； how utterly impossible it would be to
trace back the fraud to Walcott's murder at Hell's Elbow； in the
wild passes of the Sierra Nevadas。 She bade me remember that we
were both outcasts； both crime…branded； both ene