Armed, as I believed, with this knowledge that Kirby had actually fled, beyond any possibility of doing us any further injury, I did not hurry my return, but remained for some time on the bluff, watching those rushing waters, and endeavoring to outline some feasible plan for the coming night.  With this final disappearance of the gambler we were left free to proceed, and it seemed to me with no great danger of arousing suspicion, so long as we exercised reasonable precautions.  The girl to all appearances was white; no one would ever question that, particularly as she possessed sufficient intelligence and refinement to thus impress anyone she might meet, If necessary we might travel as man and wife, with Sam as our servant.  Our means of travel would attract no particular attention in that country—­the edge of the wilderness; it was common enough.  This struck me as the most reasonable course to pursue—­to work our way quietly up the Illinois by night, keeping close in shore to avoid any passing steamer, until we arrived close to Beardstown.  There, if necessary, we might begin our masquerade, but it need not be a long one.  Undoubtedly there were blacks in the town, both slaves and free negroes, with whom Sam could easily establish an acquaintance.  By this means we would soon be able to identify that particular preacher into whose care I hoped to confide Rene.  Of course, the girl might refuse to enter into the game, might decline to assume the role assigned her, however innocent I intended it to be—­indeed, I felt convinced she would meet the suggestion with indignation.  But why worry about that now?  Let this be kept as a last resort.  There was no necessity for me to even mention this part of my plan until after our approach to Beardstown; then the necessity of our going forward with it might be so apparent, she could not refuse to carry out her part.  With this point thus settled in my own mind I felt ready to rejoin the others.

I must have been absent in the neighborhood of two hours, and they had returned to the bank of the creek some time in advance of me.  As I appeared at the edge of the wood, Sam hailed, offering to row the boat across.

“All right,” I replied, confident we were alone.  “It will save me another wetting.  You saw nothing?”

“No, sah; leastways, not much,” busily fitting the oars into the row-locks.  “We cud see up de Illinois mor’n ten mile.  Ah reckon, but dar wan’t no boat nowhar, ‘cepting an o’ scow tied up ter de bank.”

“I thought so.  The keel-boat has gone down the Mississippi.”

“Yer done saw her, sah?”

“I saw her smoke; she was hidden by a big bend just below.  Don’t sit there staring at me—­come across.”