Shewasrunningattopspeed。Halfwaydownthelengthoftheshedshetrippedandfelloversomeobject。Shepusheditasideassherose。Itwasanoldironcasting，morebulkyinshapethaninweight，thoughshefounditnonetoolighttoliftcomfortably。
Sheranon。Awharfprojectedout，shefound，fromthisendoftheshed。Attheedge，shepeeredover。Itwasquitelighthereagain；awayfromtheprotectingshadowsoftheshed，theraysofthearclampplayedwithouthindranceonthewharfjustastheydidontheshed’ssidedoor。Below，sometenortwelvefeetbelow，andatthecornerofthewharf，aboat，or，rather，asortofscow，foritwaslargerthanaboatthoughoarslayalongitsthwarts，wasmoored。Itwaspartlydeckedover，andshecouldseeasmallblackopeningintotheforwardendofit，thoughtheopeningitselfwasalmosthiddenbyaheapoftarpaulin，orsailcloth，orsomethingofthekind，thatlayinthebottomofthecraft。Shenoddedherhead。Theymightallofthemusethatboattoadvantage！
RhodaGrayturnedandranback。TheSparrow，withagruntofsatisfaction，wasjustopeningthedoor。Shesteppedthroughthedoorway。TheSparrowfollowed。
“Closeit！“saidRhodaGray，underherbreath。Shefeltherheartbeatquicken，thebloodfloodherfaceandthenrecede。Herimaginationhadsuddenlybecometoohorriblyvivid。Supposethey-theyhadalreadygonefartherthan……
Withaneffortshecontrolledherself-andtheround，whiterayofherflashlightswepttheplace。Amomentmore，and，withalowcry，shewasrunningforwardtowhere，onthefloornearthewalloftheshedoppositethesidedoor，shemadeoutthemotionlessformofaman。Shereachedhim，anddroppedonherkneesbesidehim。ItwastheAdventurer。Shespoketohim。Hedidnotanswer。AndthensherememberedwhatDanglarhadsaid，andshesawthathewasgagged。
But-butshewasnotsurethatwasthereasonwhyhedidnotanswer。
Theflashlightinherhandwaveredunsteadilyasitplayedoverhim。
Perhapsthewhitenessoftherayitselfexaggeratedit，buthisfaceheldadeathlypallor；hiseyeswereclosed；andhishandsandfeetweretwistedcruellyandtightlybound。
“Givemeyourknife-quick-Sparrow！“shecalled。“Thengoandkeepwatchjustoutside。“
TheSparrowhandedherhisknife，andhurriedbacktothedoor。
Sheworkedinthedarknessnow。Shecouldnotusebothhandsandstillholdtheflashlight；and，besides，withthedoorpartiallyopennowwheretheSparrowwasonguardtherewasalwaysthechance，ifDanglarandthoseofthegangwithhimwerealreadyinthevicinity，ofthelightbringingthemallthemorequicklytothescene。
AgainshespoketotheAdventurer，assheremovedthegag-andafearthatmadehersickatheartseizeduponher。Therewasstillnoanswer。Andnow，assheworked，cuttingatthecordsonhishandsandfeet，thelovethatsheknewfortheman，itsrestraintbrokenbythesenseofdreadandfearathiscondition，rosedominantwithinher，andimpulsethatshecouldnotholdinleasttookpossessionofher，andinthedarkness，sincehewouldnotknow，andtherewasnonetosee，shebentherhead，and，halfcrying，herlipspresseduponhisforehead。
Shedrewbackstartled，acrimsoninherfacethatthedarknesshid。Whathadshedone？Didheknow？Hadhereturnedtoconsciousness，ifhereallyhadbeenunconscious，intimetoknow？Shecouldnotsee；butsheknewhiseyeshadopened。
Sheworkedfranticallywiththebonds。Hewasfreenow。Shecastthemoff。
Hespokethen-thickly，withgreatdifficulty。
“It’syou，theWhiteMoll，isn’tit？“
“Yes，“sheanswered。
Heraisedhimselfuponhiselbow，onlytofallbackwithasuppressedgroan。
“Idon’tknowhowyoufoundme，butgetawayatonce-forGod’ssake，getaway！“hecried。“Danglar’llbehereatanyminute。
It’syouhewants。Hethinksyouknowwheresome-somejewelsare，andthatI-I-“
“IknowallaboutDanglar，“shesaidhurriedly。“AndIknowallaboutthejewels，forI’vegotthemmyself。“
Hewasuponhiskneesnow，swayingthere。Shecaughtathisshouldertosupporthim。
“You！“hecriedoutincredulously。“You-you’vegotthem？Saythatagain！You-you’ve-“
“Yes，“shesaid，andwithaneffortsteadiedhervoice。He-hewasathief。Costherwhatitmight，withallitsbitterhurt，shemustrememberthat，even-evenifshehadforgottenonce。
“Yes，“shesaid。“AndImeantoturnthemovertothepolice，andexposeeveryoneofDanglar’sgang。I-youareentitledtoachance；youoncestoodbetweenmeandthepolice。Icandonolessbyyou。Icouldn’tturnthepolicelooseonthegangwithoutgivingyouwarning，for，yousee，IknowyouarethePug。“
“GoodGod！“hestammered。“Youknowthat，too？“
“Tryandwalk，“shesaidbreathlessly。“Thereisn’tanytime。
Andonceyouareawayfromhere，rememberthatwhenDanglarisinthehandsofthepolicehewilltaketheonlychanceforrevengehehasleft，andgivethepolicealltheinformationhecan，sothattheywillgetyoutoo。
Hestumbledpitifully。
“Ican’twalkmuchyet。“Hewasstrivingtospeakcoolly。“Theytrussedmeupabit，youknow-butI’llbeallrightinalittlewhilewhenIgetthecrampsoutofmyjointsandthecirculationback。Andso，MissGray，won’tyoupleasegoatonce？I’mfreenow，andI’llmanageallright，and-“
TheSparrowcamerunningbackfromthedoor。
“They’recomm’！“hesaidexcitedly。“They’recomm’fromadifferentwaythanwecamein。Isaw’emswayupthereacrosstheyardforasecondwhentheyshowedupunderapatchoflightfromanarclampontheotherstreet。There’sthreeof’em。We。gotaboutacoupleofminutes，and-“
“Getthosesidedoorsopen！Quick！Andnonoise！“’orderedRhodaGraytersely。AndthentotheAdventurer:“Try-tryandwalk！
I’llhelpyou。“
TheAdventurermadeadesperateattemptatafewsteps。Itwasmiserablyslow。AtthatrateDanglarwouldbeuponthembeforetheycouldevencrossthesheditself。
“Icancrawlfaster，“laughedtheAdventurerwithbitterwhimsicality。“Givemeyourrevolver，MissGray，andyoutwogo-andGodblessyou！“
TheSparrowwasopeningthesidedoor，butsherealizednowthateveniftheycouldcarrytheAdventurertheycouldnotgetawayintime。Herminditselfseemedstunnedforaninstant-andthen，inalightningflash，inspirationcame。Sherememberedthatironcasting，andthewharf，andtheothersideoftheshedinshadow。
Itwasdesperate，perhapsalmosthopeless，butitwastheonlywaythatgavetheAdventurerachanceforhislife。
Shespokerapidly。Thelittlemarginoftimetheyhadmustbenarrowingperilously。
“Marty，helpthisgentleman！Crawltothestreet，ifyouhaveto。
Theonlythingisthatyouarenottomaketheslightestnoise，and-“
“Whatareyougoingtodo？“demandedtheAdventurerhoarsely。
“I’mgoingtotaketheonlychancethereisforallofus，“sheanswered。
Shestartedtowardthefrontdooroftheshed；buthereachedoutandheldherback。
“Youaregoingtotaketheonlychancethereisforme！“hecriedbrokenly。“You’regoingoutthere-wheretheyare。Oh，myGod！
Iknow！Youloveme！I-Iwasonlyhalfconscious，butIamsureyoukissedmealittlewhileago。AndbutforthisyouwouldneverhaveknownthatIknewit，because，pleaseGod，whateverelseIam，Iamnotcowardenoughtotakethatadvantageofyou。ButIloveyou，too！Rhoda！Ihavetherighttospeak，therightourlovegivesme。Youarenottogo-thatway。Run-runthroughthesidedoorthere-theywillnotseeyou。
Shewastrembling。Repudiateherlove？Tellhimtherecouldbenothingbetweenthembecausehewasathief？Shemightneverlivetoseehimagain。Hersoulwasinriot，thebloodflaminghotinhercheeks。Hewasclingingtoherarm。Shetoreherselfforciblyaway。Thesecondswerecountingnow。Shetriedtobidhimgood-by，butthewordschokedinherthroat。Shefoundherselfrunningforthefrontdoor。
“Sparrow-quick！DoasItoldyou！“shehalfsobbedoverhershoulder-andopeningthedoor，steppedoutanddoseditbehindher。
AndnowRhodaGraywasintheradiusofthearclamp，anddistinctlyvisibletoanyonecomingdowntheyard。Hownearwerethey？Yes，shesawthemnow-threeforms-perhapsalittlemorethanahundredyardsaway。Shemovedafewstepsdeliberatelytowardthem，asthoughquiteunconsciousoftheirpresence；andthen，asashoutfromoneofthemannouncedthatshewasseen，shehalted，hesitatedasthoughsurprised，terrifiedanduncertain，and，astheysprangforward，sheturnedandran-makingforthesideoftheshedawayfromthesidedoor。
Avoicerangout-Danglar’s:
“ByGod，it’stheWhiteMoll！“
Itwastheonlyway！Shehadthepackincrynow。TheywouldpaynoattentiontotheAdventurerwhiletheWhiteMollwasseeminglyalmostwithintheirgrasp。Ifshecouldonlyholdthemnowforalittlewhile-justalittlewhile-theAdventurerwasn’thurt-onlycrampedandnumbed-hewouldbeallrightagainandabletotakecareofhimselfinalittlewhile-andmeanwhiletheSparrowwouldhelphimtogetaway。
Shewasrunningwithallherspeed。Sheheardthembehindher-thepound，pound，poundoffeet。Shehadgainedthesideoftheshed。
