“Mind now,” said the officer, “whatever you say will be reported.”

“Very well, I’ve got nothing to hide,” said Sam.  “I’ll tell you and Mother Matchin” (who had just come in and was staring about her with consternation, questioning Maud in dumb show) “the whole story.  I owe that to you for you’ve always used me well.  It’s a mighty short one.  That fellow Offitt robbed and tried to murder Captain Farnham last night, and then swore it onto me.  I got away from the officers to-night, and come round here and found him ’saulting Mattie, and I twisted his neck for him.  If it’s a hanging matter to kill snakes, I’ll have to stand it—­that’s all.”

“Now, who do you think is going to believe that?” said the captain of the squad.

Maud rose and walked up to where Sam was standing and said, “I know every word he has said is true.  That man was the burglar at Captain Farnham’s.  He told me so himself to-night.  He said he had the money in his pocket and wanted to make me go with him.”

She spoke firmly and resolutely, but she could not bring herself to say anything of previous passages between them; and when she opened her lips to speak of the ladder, the woman was too strong within her, and she closed them again.  “I’ll never tell that unless they go to hang Sam, and then I won’t tell anybody but the Governor,” she swore to herself.

“It’s easy to see about that story,” said the officer still incredulous.

They searched the clothing of Offitt, and the face of the officer, as one package of money after another was brought to light, was a singular study.  The pleasure he felt in the recovery of the stolen goods was hardly equal to his professional chagrin at having caught the wrong man.  He stood for a moment silent, after tying up all the packages in one.

“It’s no use dodging,” he said at last.  “We have been barking up the wrong tree.”

“I don’t know about that,” said the one called Tony Smart.  “Who has identified this money?  Who can answer for this young lady?  How about them marks on the door and the ladder?  Anyhow there’s enough to hold our prisoner on.”

“Of course there is,” said the captain.  “He hadn’t authority to go twisting people’s necks in this county.”

At this moment the wagon which had been sent for arrived.  The body of Offitt was lifted in.  The captain gathered up the money, notified Matchin that he and his family would be wanted as witnesses in the morning, and they all moved toward the door.  Sam turned to say “Farewell.”  Pinioned as he was, he could not shake hands, and his voice faltered as he took leave of them.  Maud’s heart was not the most feeling one in the world, but her emotions had been deeply stirred by the swift succession of events; and as she saw this young fellow going so bravely to meet an unknown fate, purely for her sake, the tears came to her eyes.  She put out her hand to him; but she saw that his hands were fastened and, seized with sudden pity, she put her arms about his neck and kissed him, whispering, “Keep up a good heart, Sam!” and he went away, in all his danger and ignominy happier than he had been for many a day.