of the consequences until now, for I know old Mandeville will raise
earth and hell when he finds his daughter is missing. But now I have him!
What a glorious idea! But it is a wonder I had not thought of it before.
Well, it will not be the first time a dead man has served a good purpose!"

At this moment Bill and Dick made their appearance, and he immediately
opened business with them.

"Well, you are here at last! I have been waiting on you this half-hour!"

"If it please your honor we are here at the appointed time. You must have
some urgent business to be done that you are in such haste?"

"I have. The time has come that I shall need your service in the matter on
hand. Miss Mandeville is in the habit of visiting the spot I pointed out to
you, daily. To-morrow her father is going to C---- and there will be no one
at home but the daughter and the house girl. You must be in waiting as
agreed upon. You, Bill, must cautiously approach her and represent yourself
as the friend of Hadley, for whom you must be the bearer of a message. If
that does not succeed, then you must have recourse to the other means, as
already arranged. So soon as you get her fairly in your possession and
secured, bear her to the cave, with all dispatch, by the secret route. I
will meet you on the way."

"All right. We understand the plan, and will take good care that it be
properly carried out; but afterward we shall expect your aid, or at least
your non-interference in a little affair of our own."

"Oh, certainly. Go ahead; but don't make a fuss about it. Who is she?"

"Oh, dang the women, we don't meddle with them; it is with Duval that we
have an account to settle."

"Be careful there! Remember your oath to the order!"

"We do; but he is a traitor, and if you expect us to work for you in such
life-taking business as we have lately been engaged in, you must let us
have our way in this instance."

"Very well; if you will be cautious and commit no others but yourselves I
shall not oppose you."

"We'll take care on that point."

"Remember to-morrow."

"Never fear. She shall be yours before the setting of the sun."

Again the villains parted; but Duffel was not well pleased with the demand
the ruffians had made of him, until a new thought struck him, and he said
to himself:

"That will do. I will get all I want out of them; and then to save trouble
and _to be sure of my own secret_, I will have them arraigned before the
Order for killi