"We reached the hermit's hut just as the moon rose," the man muttered. "I stayed outside—to watch—the others went in—to torture the hermit—to make him reveal—the hiding-place—of his gold."
"Yes, yes! Then what?" The Wolf was raging with impatience.
"Then the world turned red—the hut went up in a roar and a red rain flooded the valley—through it I saw—the hermit and a tall man clad all in black—coming from the trees——"
"Solomon Kane!" gasped the bandit. "I knew it! I——"
"Silence, fool!" snarled the chief. "Go on!"
"I fled—Kane pursued—wounded me—but I outran—him—got—here—first——"
The man slumped forward on the table.
"Saints and devils!" raged the Wolf. "What does he look like, this Kane?"
"Like—Satan——"
The voice trailed off in silence. The dead man slid from the table to lie in a red heap upon the floor.