"My friend, as I have already said, you will have to trust my faith. If I capture the house, I should take the gold, anyway, so you lose nothing, in the end, and may gain much. Come, monsieur, to business, either of gold or blood—which shall it be? Long-Sword makes few compacts—those compacts he keeps."
"Long-Sword!" exclaimed Marbury, in amazement.
"The same, monsieur, perchance you have heard of me."
"Who has not heard of you——"
"As a bloody and cruel scoundrel," Long-Sword completed. "Such is not always true, as you now can evidence. But, we dally, monsieur—are we to have the gold or are we not?"
"Yes," said Marbury; "I will have it brought here with the silver, at once."
X THE DEFEAT
Within the house, while the negotiations were in progress, there had been the trembling fear of the women, and the grave concern of the men. Marbury had told no one what he proposed to do, but, as the one controlling consideration was for the women, none cared so long as they were saved.