In any event, he would have had but little time for consultation with them, for almost immediately the curtains were drawn aside, Hugh began to play, and Pearl made her appearance.  That was the signal for applause as prolonged as it was enthusiastic.  She was like a vision of the spring so eagerly awaited by these prisoners of winter.  Her frock, which fell to her ankles, was of some white, silky, soft material and was deeply bordered with silver; her sleeves were of silver and there was a touch of silver on the bodice.  Her emeralds gleamed like green fire against her bare white throat and as she danced a froth of rose-colored petticoat was visible, foaming above her ankles.

To all those eager, watching people Pearl seemed truly the incarnation of May in all its glory and shimmer, and Hughie’s music was like the silver, fluting notes of her insistent heralds proclaiming the south wind, and bird calls and murmuring rivulets of melting snow.  And when she ceased and they finally permitted her to withdraw before dancing again it was almost with a shock that they realized that the snow was still falling outside.

It was then that Bob Flick turned at last to his two companions.  “You’ve seen?” was his brief, low-voiced comment.  Both men nodded.

“Every deputy in the county here,” said Seagreave in as low a voice as the one Flick had used.  “No exits for us anywhere.  The sheriff has them well stationed.”

“Thank God, I came,” muttered Gallito, “but I wish we knew their plan.”

“That’s easy,” said Flick.  “Hanson’s so sure that he’s won the game before it’s played that he’s ready to tell any one that will listen to him how it all happened, before it’s begun.  I guess I’ll go over and talk to him a little before Pearl comes on again.”

He rose to his tall, languid height and sauntered in his laziest fashion across the floor.

“Say, stranger,” he began, resting his elbow on the back of a chair next Hanson, and leaning his head on his hand, “haven’t we met before.  It seemed to me a few moments ago when I caught your eye that your face was more or less familiar.”

“Well, now ain’t that strange!” exclaimed Hanson in affected surprise.  “But I just had a sort of an idea that you’d recognize me to-night in spite of my disguise.  Yes, now you ask me, let me tell you, since your memory is so poor, that we have met once or twice before, but it ain’t likely that we ever will again.  Sad,” he shook his head and sighed heavily, “I hate to disappoint you by telling you so, but, someway, I got that idea firmly fixed in my head.”

“Is that so?” said Flick politely.  “Well, maybe you’re right.  It does kind of look so from the layout you’ve got here.  How are you going to play it, anyway?  Both ends to the middle, I suppose.”

“Correct,” returned Hanson blithely.  “We lined up outside to watch you when you got out of the wagon.  If you hadn’t brought him with you we wouldn’t have disturbed you during the entertainment; just gone up the hill and got him and then rounded the rest of you up afterward.  But you were kind enough to save us that trouble.”