What if he had struck too hard, had killed the man?
A little tremor went over him, a prickling of the scalp.

Killing Cliff had no part in his plans, would be too horrid a mischance.

He wished now that he had left him alone, had let him bluster and threaten.

Perhaps Cliff would not have had presence of mind enough to do what Johnny had feared he would do when he saw capture was inevitable: drop overboard what papers he carried that would incriminate him with the United States Federal officers.

With empty pockets Cliff would be as free of suspicion as Johnny himself--a mere passenger in a plane that had flown too far south.