"
Steptoe drew in his breath with a slight whistle, and gazed at Van Loo.
He instantly understood him. But the plea did not suit Steptoe, who,
for purposes of his own, wished to put Mrs. Barker beyond her husband's
possible reach. He smiled grimly. "I think you'd better take the woman
with you," he said. "I don't think," he added in a lower voice, "that
the boys would like your leaving her. They're very high-toned, they
are!" he concluded ironically.
"Then," said Van Loo, with another desperate idea, "could you not let us
have saddle-horses instead of the buggy? We could travel faster, and in
the event of pursuit and anything happening to ME," he added loftily,
"SHE at least could escape her pursuer's vengeance."
This suited Steptoe equally well, as long as the guilty couple fled
TOGETHER, and in the presence of witnesses. But he was not deceived by
Van Loo's heroic suggestion of self-sacrifice. "Quite right," he said
sarcastically, "it shall be done, and I've no doubt ONE of you will
escape. I'll send the horses round to the back door and keep the buggy
in front. That will keep Jack there, TOO,--with the boys handy."
But Mr. Hamlin had quite as accurate an idea of Mr. Van Loo's methods
and of his OWN standing with Steptoe's gang of roughs as Mr. Steptoe
himself. More than that, he also had a hold on a smaller but more
devoted and loyal following than Steptoe's.
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