any last messages to leave, you had better give them to me now."

"This is a pretty good bluff you're putting up!" Dorward exclaimed
contemptuously. "The long and short of it is, I suppose, that you
want me to break the seal of this document and let you read it."

Bellamy shook his head.

"It is too late for that, Dorward," he said. "If the seal were
broken, they'd very soon guess where I came in, and it wouldn't help
the work I have in hand for me to be picked up with a bullet in my
forehead on the railway track."

Dorward frowned uneasily.

"What are you here for, anyway, then?" he asked.

"Well, frankly, not to argue with you," Bellamy answered. "As a
matter of fact, you are of no use to me any longer. I am sorry,
old man. You can't say that I didn't give you good advice. I am
bound to play for my own hand, though, in this matter, and if I
get any benefit at all out of my journey, it will be after some
regrettable accident has happened to you."

"Say, ring the bell for drinks and chuck this!" Dorward exclaimed.
"I've had about enough of it. I am not denying anything you say,
but if these fellows really are on board, they'll think twice
before they meddle with me."

"On the contrary," Bellamy assured him, "they will not take the