"What'll you do—?"
"Drop our friend into it. Nobody'll ever be the wiser."
"Good heavens, what a doom!"
Even the tramp shuddered at the thought of consigning a human being to that awful tomb. Nevertheless he assisted Barkswell to lift Keene and bear him to the mouth of the well.
An instant later and Detective Keene shot from sight. A hollow cry came up, then solemn silence, as Barkswell closed the trap and turned away.
CHAPTER XIV.
IN THE HANDS OF A VILLAIN.
It will be remembered that Andrew Barkswell was startled to find that
Rose Alstine had been listening to the confab between himself and wife.
This was after the infamous plotter had consigned Detective Keene to a
horrible doom at the bottom of the old well under Billy Bowlegs' saloon.
Now that the man-tracker was off the trail, Barkswell felt better. He had concocted a tremendous plot that his theft of the diamonds came near despoiling. It was not his wish to have Rose know of the existence of his wife. If necessary, the villain had resolved to put that wife out of the way forever.
There never was a plotter less scrupulous than this man, whose smooth tongue and jaunty exterior had stood him so well during almost a lifetime of villainy.