"Stand over there against the wall!" commanded the queen of the ranch.
Jem hesitated.
"I'll kill you if you don't!"
He moved away and she continued:
"Merle told you to stop in Perth?" She looked at him as she spoke. "He gave you money—my money—with which to fight the tiger here."
Jem was ready for any confession now, for he saw the determined mien of his mistress, and knew that she came from Ranch Robin merciless and cool.
"Like a fool I listened to Merle," he said.
"Like a fool? Rather like a traitor!" cried the woman. "You must have met the man called Riggs?"
"He threw himself across my path."
"Why didn't you kill him?"