About a mile from the station the trail crossed a rather wide neck of shallow swamp. In a rainy year it would have been impassable, but it was almost dry now and made very good walking. It suddenly occurred to Scott that Qualley was not going in the direction of his camp. “Doesn’t this trail take you a good way out of your road?” he asked.
“About a mile, but this is the only place where there is a trail across the swamp and I have never had the energy to cut another.”
When the trail entered the swamp it narrowed so that they were obliged to go in single file. Murphy stopped to let Qualley go first, but he politely held back and insisted on them leading the way. Murphy smiled a little to himself, shoved Scott gently into the lead and followed with Qualley bringing up the rear. Conversation was not so easy now and they walked in comparative silence. The ground was so soft and spongy that their feet made very little noise and every little sound was easily heard. It was so dark in the swamp that only the outline of things could be seen.
They were about in the middle of the swamp when Murphy heard a faint sound for which he had been listening intently ever since they had strung out on the narrow trail. It was a gentle slap caused by the falling of a leather flap. He listened now even more intently and was almost immediately rewarded by a sharp click close behind him.
“What was that?” he exclaimed, whirling about.
Scott stopped and turned around to see what was going on and was just in time to see Murphy strike Qualley a crashing blow on the jaw before he even had a chance to answer the question.
“Ah, ha, you old fox!” Murphy exclaimed, as he leaned over the fallen man, “I was a little too smart for you that time. That’s a fine gun you have, but it is not much good without cartridges. Just wait till I load her up and then she will work better.” He picked the gun up from the soft ground where Qualley had dropped it, and taking a clip of cartridges from his pocket he calmly proceeded to load it.
“What’s the trouble?” Scott asked. The whole thing had occurred so suddenly that he had not been able to comprehend it. He had been busy planning out the best method of attacking that cabin.
Murphy explained it as coolly as though nothing had happened.
“It occurred to me back there in the train that it might not be altogether safe to be in the woods with this fellow alone at night when he knew where we were, so I unloaded his gun. When he came down this way with us to cross the swamp I knew that there was something up, for it would have been nearer for him to have walked up the railroad track a way and then cut across. Didn’t you notice how polite I was when I tried to persuade him to walk ahead of me through this swamp? Never knew me to be that polite before, did you? And when he turned out to be more polite than I was, I knew just exactly what to expect. I heard the flap of his holster flip down when he drew his gun and I heard her click when he pulled the trigger. I was afraid he might run away and reload so I dropped him.”