“What do you think?”

“That’s a pretty question to ask! as if I could know anything contained in that paper, when I’ve never seen it except in your hand.”

“This rascal, for whom we have been working these three months, wants to get clear of us, so soon as he has obtained from us all the aid he desires.”

“What, Duffel?”

“Yes, Duffel.”

Dick stood a moment, as if in doubt whether to believe Bill’s words or not; at length he inquired: 

“How do you know this?”

“Why, here it is, in his own hand-writing.”

That he wants to betray us?”

“No—­yes—­that is, he wants to get us out of the way!”

“How?”

“By fair means or foul; he don’t seem to care which.  But I will read his words,” and Bill read the billet to his accomplice.

“So he’s afeard of us!” commented Dick.  “Well, it ain’t much wonder that he is.  Ef I had as many crimes to account for as he has, and others knew of my guilt, I’d be skeered, too.”

“See here, Dick, what the d——­l does he mean by wanting us to hurry off that affair with Duval?”

“Fool! can’t you see nothin’?  Why, he wants us to kill a member of the Order, and then have us shot as traitors!”

“Egad! plain enough, truly.  Well, Mr. Duval, you may pass this time; we’ll pitch into higher game.  What do you say, Dick?”

“Say?  Why, that this friend of ours will have to git up mighty airly in the mornin’, ef he finds us nappin’.”

“Let me tell you, it is no very pleasant fix, this, that we are in.  Duffel fears we will betray him, and is resolved to prevent it by having us killed.  That’s the ‘long and short’ of the matter; and he has fifty men at his back, all sworn to obey his orders.  He can accuse us of treason, try, condemn, and have us shot, in the shortest possible time.  Now, how are we to help ourselves?”

“Well, we can’t be tried till the next regular meeting of the League, and it is more than two weeks till that time.  We can watch his movements, and, ef need be, kill him or give him over into the hands of the law on a charge of murder.”

“Yes, give him over to justice, and who is to prove him guilty, unless it be ourselves, and then we would have the whole League down upon us in quick time! a pretty way, indeed, to get rid of him.  True, we might kill him at our next meeting in the ‘swamp’ and then be hung for it, which would be a poor recompense for our trouble and bad pay for taking the life of such a dastard.  No, I am for revenge—­a revenge that will thwart his designs, and save us from his power at the same time.”

“But how are you going to accomplish so much? that’s the rub.”

“See here; on the back of this note, Miss Mandeville writes a few lines, asking our aid, and promising a reward for any service we may be willing and able to render her.  My plan is this:  To take the lady from the cave, which will be the deepest blow we can strike the villain, and then—­”