For the first time in her life she saw him staggered
by the shock of surprise, held hesitant and uncertain. For a little
there was never a movement of his rigid muscles; one hand rested upon
the butt of his revolver, the other was closed upon the stack of gold
pieces. When at last he found his tongue it was to accuse her.
"You trapped me," he said bitterly.
"With golden bait," she admitted, her voice oddly spiritless. "Yes."
"Well," he challenged, "what are you going to do about it?"
"Do? I don't know!"
Again they grew silent, studying each other intently. Norton, his
poise coming back to him as the unusual color receded from his face,
smiled at her with an affectation of his old manner. Suddenly he
stepped back to her table, noiselessly set down the coins, eased
himself into a chair.
"You wished to thresh things out? I am ready. And in case we should
be interrupted, you know, I have called on you in your official
capacity. We'll say that I am troubled by the old wound in the head;
that will do as well as anything, won't it?"
"It was you who robbed the bank at Pozo!" she cried softly, leaning
toward him, the look in her eyes one of dread now. "And the mine
superintendent at Las Palmas? And I don't know how many other people.
It was you!"
She had startled him in the beginning; she knew she would not draw
another sign of surprise from him.
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