“Madame,” replied the still imperturbable parson, “the crime of blood-guiltiness cannot be imputed to you, for you did not know what you were doing.”
The woman leaned against a tree, and waited until Glorieaux declared to the parson he would abandon the chase.
“It is useless,” said he, striking a dramatic attitude, and pointing to the woman, “for her tears have quenched the fiery fever in the blood of Glorieaux.”
“Then I’ll git the hull thousand,” growled Mike, “an’ I’ll need it, too, if I’ve got to stand this sort of thing much longer.”
A confused sound of voices on the other side of the creek attracted the attention of the men, and caused the woman to raise her head. A moment later Jude appeared, with a child in his arms, and plunged into the water.
“Now we’ll have him!” cried the parson; “and you, madame, will have your child. Be ready to chase him, men, if he attempts to run when he gets ashore.”
“Go back! go back!” screamed the woman. “They are after you, these men. Try to——”
The law-abiding parson placed his hand over the woman’s mouth, but found himself promptly flying backward through space, while Mike roared:
“Touch a woman, will yer? No thousand dollars nor any other money, ’ll hire me to travel with such a scoundrel. Catch him yerself, if yer want ter.”
“But if you do,” said Glorieaux, politely, as he drew his revolver, “it will be necessary for Glorieaux to slay the Lord’s anointed.”