Ike Denman fixed his keen eyes sharply on the girl when he asked the question.

“No one told me.”

“See here, girl, do not tell me that!”

“You have my answer.”

“Renie, before to-night I would have taken your word for anything; but now I doubt you!”

“I can’t help it, I have told you the truth.”

“Someone must have told you our plans?”

“No one told me.”

“And what did you tell the detective?”

“I told him not to go off in the yacht to-night.”

“What more did you tell him?”

“I told him to leave the coast.”

“What reason did you give him for warning hunt rot to go off in the yacht?”

“I told him he’d never return alive.”

“That’s frank and straight.”

“I always tell the truth.”

“And now, girl, we have something, worse than a Government officer on the coast.”

The girl remained silent, and Denman continued: 

“A traitor is worse than a Government officer, and, we have a traitor in our midst.”

The girl still remained silent.  She supposed the fellow was alluding to her.

“Renie, you must tell me who told you our plans?”

“No one told me your plans.”

“Listen, girl, I want to keep you out of trouble; let me tell you something; the men are very much incensed against you, and have uttered terrible threats.”

“I can’t help it.”

“Why did you warn the detective?”

“I did not wish to see the man murdered.”

“And you turned against your father and us all?”

“I have turned against no one.  I only sought to save a man’s life.”

“The man is a friend of yours?”

“I never spoke to him before in my life, until I warned him of his danger.”

“Where is the man?”

“If he is wise, he has left the coast.”

“Will you tell me how you have learned of our plans?”

“I overheard you discuss them.”

“And you are the traitor

“I am the traitor!”

“Girl, never confess to anyone else what you have confessed to me!”

The old smuggler was a listener to the foregoing conversation, and he said: 

“Renie is tender-hearted.”

“Yes; but, Tom, Renie must go away.”

“Yes; she is going away.”

“Have you a place for her?”

“Yes.”

“Will you tell me who assailed you?”

“Ike, I can’t tell you all; but I was assailed on Renie’s account.”

“You were assailed on Renie’s account?”

“Yes.”

“This is a strange story!”

“Some day you will know why I was assailed.”

“Was it one of our people?”

“No.”

“A stranger?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“A man you know.”

“Name him.”

“Not to-night.”