He has ignored the
first necessary principle, which is the lone hand."
"You mean he takes men into his confidence?"
"And he goes on and ignores the second necessary principle; a man must
stop short of murder. If he turns gangman and killer, he ties his own
rope around his neck. If a man like Galloway, a man with brains,
power, without fear, without scruple, should decide to loot this corner
of the world or any other corner, and set about it right, playing the
lone hand invariably, he would be a man I couldn't bring in in a
thousand years. But Galloway has slipped up; he has too many Moragas
and Antones and Vidals at his heels; he has been the cause, directly or
indirectly, of too many killings. . . . A theft will be forgotten in
time, the hue and cry die down; spilled blood cries to heaven after ten
years."
"Galloway is back in San Juan."
"I know. I wanted him back. I wanted him free and unhampered. He'll
be bolder than ever now, won't he, if this case is dropped? He's come
out a little into the open already, he'll be tempted out a little
farther. There'll be more of his work soon, a robbery here or there,
and he will grow so sure of himself that he'll get careless. Then I'll
get him."
"But have you the right?" she asked quickly. "Knowing him a
lawbreaker, have you the right to allow him to go farther and farther,
just because in the end you hope to get him?"
He met her look with a smile which puzzled her.
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