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Time passed a minute or one but couldn&039;t see him for the thicket One of the horses ru there waiting, and then it joined its brethren in cho weeds

anotherslowly through the brush He was staring down at the ground, and kicking at stones and acorns "Matthew," he said without looking up, "will you co anywhere"

Matthew returned his attention to Slaughter, who yet remained ainst the sunlight that lit up his beard like a coalfire "a very respectable naot down off the wagon, the pistol in hand He checked Slaughter&039;s position once more before he walked the twelve paces or so to join Greathouse, but the prisoner had notthe deep furrows of worry that cut across Greathouse&039;s face "Is soed in the leaves with the toe of his boot, bent down and picked up a white rock, which he examined closely "I want your opinion," he said at last, in a restrained voice calculated not to travel the distance of twelve paces "Is he lying about theof what Greathouse had just asked him hit Matthew like a timber board across the back of the head "Oh,to him, are youi"

"Keep your voice down" Greathouse turned the rock in his hand, exa, Matthewi I amei It&039;s all over for him, and he knows it Why should he liei"

"Because he wants to get us down that road and escape, that&039;s why"

"Escape," Greathouse repeated The word had been spoken gravely "Howi Chained up like he is, with the ball on his legi and us with the pistoli How the hell is he going to escapei He may be half-crazy, but he&039;s surely not full-crazy" Greathouse continued to turn the white rock in his palle "He knows that I won&039;t kill hiet far with one knee shot off Hell, I ht kill him anyway I&039;m not a Quaker, and I didn&039;t ," said Matthew "That&039;s ripped the rock in his fist "You don&039;t think I can handle hi for-"

"Keep your voice down," Greathouse commanded He stepped forward, until his face was only inches away from Matthew&039;s "I can handle him I&039;ve handled plenty like hi to be any problem"

Matthew shook his head The intensity of Greathouse&039;s stare coaze on the dead leaves around their feet

"Fifty pounds," cas and the jewelry It would buy Zed&039;s freedom, Matthew Don&039;t you seei"

Matthew did suddenly see, and as he looked into Greathouse&039;s eyes he felt his face tighten into an incredulous mask "That&039;s what you want the money fori"

"Yes What elsei"

Matthew had to take off his tricorn and put the back of his hand against his forehead, for fear his brain had fired up a fever

"Whatever van Kowenhoven named as a price, we could meet," Greathouse went on "and pay off Cornbury for the writ of manumission as well With that much money, we&039;d probably even have some to spare You know, to split between us"

Matthew looked for sos felt weak He needed a sturdy boulder to at least lean against, but there was nothing In his uised as a book, and within it a black leather bag, and within that bag a handful of glea htest intention of letting hiainst humanity But listen, Matthee can make him believe we&039;re in accord, and then e have the ain, across the river and on to put him behind bars What do you sayi"

Matthew had no words He was thinking of the gold coins, and his debts, and new suits in the latest fashion, and how he needed a fireplace for his house, with the winter coht not be to your liking I understand and appreciate your show of moral character, but back there he said Two men out of all creation who have no need for money Well, I do have a need for it, and I know you do too" Greathouse frowned, taking Matthew&039;s continued silence as stern disapproval "Matthee can trick it out of him We can lie to a liar Or you don&039;t have to speak a word, I&039;ll do all the lying I have much more experience at it than you"

"It&039;s not that," Matthew heard hi the words He had hornets in his head, they were buzzing so loudly he couldn&039;t hear This was the old coins; he kneas, for if Matthew didn&039;t tell, Greathouse was going to take thehter&039;s safebox There was plenty of gold in that leather bag to share Of course there was Fifty or uard he didn&039;t need, and then the rest for all the things Matthew planned on buying Forget the fireplace until next winter He had enough clothes, why should he ever need any morei Yes, plenty to share

"What is it, theni" Greathouse prodded

Matthew started to speak To say whati He wasn&039;t sure Possibly I am a rich man or It&039;s not fair, I found the money, me alone, and it&039;s not fair

The world spun about him, and in the air he smelled the faint burned scent of autuenuine labor, "I am " and then the rest of it spilled out: " afraid of hirunted, his face screwed up in a scowl But slowly the scowl eased, Greathouse dropped his white rock and put his hand on Matthew&039;s shoulder "Listen, so a Just follow along with ht and demanded of hi down at all the leaves at his feet as if the earth ht open and s him up in an instant

"Coet to it"

Matthew followed Greathouse to the wagon, where Slaughter still lay with his eyes closed like a beast dozing in the shifting sunbea about his face Mattheondered howthere

Greathouse slaon, which caused Slaughter only to lift his eyelids to half-ht believe you," Greathouse told hiht be interested How far down that road do we goi"

Slaughter worked his head fro his neck "To the end of it, as I&039;ve already said"

"How fari"

"Oh sixthe river Then the road takes a turn to the southwest another four miles, I&039;d say Tenith these horses"

"You hter, "with the horses you have"

Greathouse suddenly reached over and grabbed hold of the prisoner&039;s beard, which served to secure Slaughter&039;s full attention "If we drive ten miles to the end of that road and no safebox is buried there, I won&039;t be pleased Those doctors et to New York alive, but I&039;ive you some marks to reave it a steady pull, but Slaughter gave no reaction "Do you understand hter did

Greathouse released hi a dirty smear He said to Matthew, "Get up there and work the horses back"

Matthew climbed up onto the seat and put the pistol beside him where he could reach it in a hurry if he heard the chains rattle He lifted the brake, took the reins and started urging the team to backstep as Greathouse took hold of one of the wheels and pushed against it Soon they had retreated the wagon to just beyond the turnoff Then Greathouse cliain, took the pistol and turned around on the seat to watch Slaughter

"all right, Matthew," said Greathouse "Let&039;s go"

Matthew hesitated on the verge of flicking the reins Tell hient voice There was still time Maybe in the next mile or two He would have to think about it a little ht not be necessary to tell Not necessary at all If the safebox was really there, and it held the treasure as Slaughter said then ould it ever be necessaryi

Still, he had a taste of ashes in hisso well on his frame as it had before

He flicked the reins The teanity of the driver not knohether he was going backward or forward

They entered the woods on the narrow road The canopy of trees closed above their heads It was only after another hts to realize they were heading directly into the onco storm