self into the hands of that Providence who had so
often befriended her in former times of peril, and then shaping her course
as well as she could by the stars, she plunged into the dense forest, with
her face, as she believed, toward home, which she hoped to reach some time
the next day.

Alas for her hopes! in less than an hour she was totally bewildered and
lost in the wilderness! She felt her loneliness and helplessness now more
than when facing her malignant enemy; and to add to the horrors of her
situation, howls of wild beasts soon greeted her ears!

CHAPTER XX.

THE TABLES TURNING.

When Duffel left the Cave, as shown in the preceding chapter, he went
immediately to the place where he had appointed to meet Bill and Dick,
boiling over with rage all the way, and "breathing out vengeance" on the
head of Eveline. He had entered her room so confident of triumphing, that
the humiliation of defeat was tenfold greater than if he had doubted of
success. And then the degradation to which he had been forced to abase
himself! The very remembrance of it set his blood to boiling! He cursed
himself for his cowardice; he cursed Eveline for her manifestation of
courage and for everything else she had done. To be forced to kneel and beg
his life of a woman! and that woman his own prisoner, on his own terms, in
his own dungeon! The thought burned into his very soul! and the more he
thought the fiercer became his wrath.

In this frame of mind he reached the rendezvous, and found his accomplices
awaiting his arrival, for they had work of their own on hand and did not
wish to be detained too long by their old leader but now secret foe.

"I'm glad to find you here," he said, as soon as he came up, and his tools
saw in a moment that something unusual had happened or some extraordinary
work was to be done.

"We are always punctual," Bill replied.

"And it is well you are this time; for there is work to do immediately. I
want you to collect together as many of the members of the League as can be
found, and assemble them in the cave by midnight."

"Why, what in the world has happened?" inquired Bill in some alarm, lest
his own scheme should be frustrated by these demonstrations on the part of
Duffel.

"Not much of anything; indeed I may as well tell you at once, that this
movement has reference to Miss Mandeville. I have just returned from the
cave where I called upon her, and from her obstinacy and a number of hints
th