"I know that," said Tamaroo; "and he asked me to come to the house, so that he might get the rest of the documents from me. But I guessed his trick, and I followed him. I took the papers from his body and I knifed him."
"You?" cried Fan and Berry together.
"Yes. He was a traitor, and he died. You killed him, Berry, but I put the finishing stroke. And I also stabbed Starth."
"Ah!" cried Berry in triumph. "You murdered him."
Frank darted forward and placed himself before the little man. "If that is so," he said, "I must be innocent."
"You are not," snarled Berry. "You shot Starth, and this black nigger finished him off."
"Starth was dead when I put the knife into his heart," said Tamaroo. "You were afraid when you found that he was killed as Anchor had been killed in San Francisco."
"You gave me a bad quarter of an hour, I admit," said Berry; "but I guess Lancaster will swing, and you'll get gaol, Tamaroo."
"Nothing of the sort," said Jarman, coolly. "You can't do what you like, Berry. I'll see to that."
"See to yourself," said Berry, wrathfully. "See to your own life. If I give the word, neither you nor Lancaster will leave this place alive. I can depend upon Balkis."