"Yes, quite alone. That's the horror of it. I've told you before; you couldn't understand; but it's myself, only my own soul, that can settle this--it's very strange."
"I've told you too much now. But you must take care of yourself. No matter what happens you must take care of yourself."
"I don't know if that's so important," said Roger. "I confess I've lost considerable interest in just myself."
She smiled a smile too old, too cynical for her youthful lips.
"I love you," said Roger bluntly. "I believe you care a little----"
"Don't, don't, don't!" She turned a face toward him full of pleading. "Do you want to torture me? Can't you see----?" Her voice failed her. She struggled a moment and turned round; holding back tears and smiling by sheer force of will, and held out her hand frankly.
A low chuckle in the jungle startled them.
"Ah, youth, youth, youth!" Garman's huge face was peering at them from behind a mask of flowering moon vine. "'I love you.' Ho ho! Poor Payne!"
"You cad, Garman; you mucker!" cried Roger.
"Go!" Annette flung herself upon him, seeking to push him away, but he stood like an oak.
"Do you really love me?" whispered Annette, suddenly, her lips closed to Roger's.
"No, not yet; but I will soon. If you love me, you'll do what I ask. Go away. Please, please at once!"
"I can't leave you here, Annette, helpless among all this devilishness."
"I am not helpless. Not if I know you really love me. Can you understand that--it will mean so much to me--it will be the one way you can help me--the only way. Help me to save myself, dear, by showing me I have your love. Go!"
He looked at her. Then he bowed his head and went.
"They've jumped us!" Higgins' great neck was swollen with impotent rage as he greeted Roger's return to camp.
"It's my fault, too. Take a good, swift kick at me. I fell down on the job while you were away."
Higgins led the way to the edge of the elderberry jungle and pointed out over the drained land. A dozen armed men, outlaws and fugitives of the most vicious kind from Big Cypress Swamp, were scattered systematically over the thousand-acre tract. Two men lay behind the spoil banks at each of the main canal, their heads and rifle barrels showing above the black-earth breastworks. The other men were placed in pairs at strategic points. No one could set foot on the drained land without being seen and subject to fire from two sides.