You need not hold him.
[They leave go of George, who sinks cowering
into a chair. Dick hands the revolver to
Alec. He silently fits into a chamber the
cartridge that had been brought to him.
Alec.
You see that it fits. Hadn't you better make a clean breast of it?
George.
[Cowed.] Yes, I shot her. She made a row, and the devil got into me. I didn't know I'd done anything till she screamed and I saw the blood.... What a fool I was to throw the cartridge away! I wanted to have all the chambers charged.
Alec.
Do you remember that two months ago I hanged a man to the nearest tree because he'd outraged a native woman?
George.
[Springing up in terror.] You wouldn't do that to me, Alec. Oh, God, no, Alec, have mercy on me. You wouldn't hang me. Oh, why did I ever come to this damned place?