“You, too?” The yearning tenderness went to Michael’s heart like sweet salve, even in the stress of the moment. They were brothers in sorrow, and their brotherhood saved Sam from committing a crime.
Then the police and crowd swept up breathless.
“What does all this mean?” panted a policeman touching his cap respectfully to Michael. “Some one been shooting?”
He stooped and peered into the white face of the still unconscious woman, and then looked suspiciously toward Sam who was standing sullenly behind Michael.
“He’s all right,” smiled Michael throwing an arm across Sam’s shoulder, “He only came in to help me when he saw I was having a hard time of it. The fellow made off in that direction.” Michael pointed after Carter whose form had disappeared in the darkness.
“Any of the gang?” asked the officer as he hurried away.
“No!” said Michael. “He doesn’t belong here!”
One officer hurried away accompanied by a crowd, the other stayed to look after the woman. He touched the woman with his foot as he might have tapped a dying dog to see if there was still life there. A low growl like a fierce animal came from Sam’s closed lips.
Michael put a warning hand upon, his arm.
“Steady, Sam, steady!” he murmured, and went himself and lifted the poor pretty head of the girl from its stony pillow.