"Males who might have been men and of some use in the world, if only a finger had shown them the road instead of shoving 'em down into wrecks and damnation.
"I can write no more. I must go out and walk about."
Spurling gulped down a sob, and without comment crunched the sheet up in his hand, and flung it towards the stove; but it fell short and rolled to where Granger was standing. He stooped, picked it up and smoothed it out. "I'll put it in my pocket," he said, "to remember what we were; we may need the reminder on our journey."
"Damn your softness," Spurling broke out. "I want to forget the past, and to live like the beast I am. How could I shoot down even an Indian to defend myself, if I were to remember things like that! It's gold that's changed me; and now that I've got it I intend, at all costs, to win out."
"Yes, it's gold that's changed us," Granger said.
Presently he paused again. "I had intended to keep that to threaten you with, but you can have it now," he said.
Spurling rose up from the floor, and coming over to the table took the paper from him. It was the warrant for his arrest. His hand shook as he read it.
"Granger, how did you get that?" he asked in a low voice. "Was it from Strangeways?"
On the spur of the moment, to avoid the direct answering of the question and that he might learn the exact truth about something else, he drew forth the locket from his breast.
"What's that?" asked Spurling. "Another reminder?"