t, again the men leaned forward to see the
card that should be pulled from the pack; again the hearts of the
captives stood still.

Miller hesitated. He seemed to feel that the tide had turned against
him. For a moment he was tempted to refuse to draw, and then, with a
muttered exclamation, he pulled a card from the pack and held it up to
view. Then, with a bitter cry of baffled rage, he flung it madly to the
floor.

It was the queen of hearts!

Each man in the room seemed to draw a deep breath. It was plain that
some were disappointed, and some were well satisfied.

"That settles it!" said Muriel, calmly. "They-uns won't be put out o'
ther way ter-night."

"Settles it!" snarled Miller, furious with disappointment. "It war
settled afore! I claim that ther first draw counts."

"An' I claim that it don't," returned the youthful moonshiner, without
lifting his voice in the least. "You-uns all agreed ter ther second
draw, an' that lets them off."

"Oh, you have worked it slick!" grated the disappointed Black Cap. "But
them critters ain't out o' ther maountings yit!"

"By that yer mean--jes' what?"

"They're not liable ter git out alive."

"Ef they-uns is killed, I'll know whar ter look fer ther one as war at
ther bottom o' ther job--an' I'll look!"

Muriel did not bluster, and he did not speak above an ordinary tone, but
it was plain that he meant every word.

"Wal," muttered Miller, "what do ye mean ter do with them critters--turn
'em out, an' let 'em bring ther officers down on us?"

"No. I'm goin' ter keep 'em till they kin be escorted out o' ther
maountings. Thar ain't time ter-night, fer it's gittin' toward mornin'.
Ter-morrer night it can be done."

Miller said no more. He seemed to know it was useless to make further
talk, but Frank and Barney knew that they were not yet out of danger.

The boys seemed as cool as any one in the room, for all of the deadly
peril they had passed through, and Muriel nodded in a satisfied way when
he had looked them over.

"Come," he said, in a low tone, "you-uns will have ter go back ter ther
room whar ye war a bit ago."

They were willing to go back, and it was with no small amount of relief
that they allowed themselves to be escorted to the apartment.

Muriel dismissed the two guards, and then he set the hands of the boys
free.

"Thar ye are," he said. "Yo're all right fer now."

"Thanks to you," bowed Frank. "I want to make an apology."

"Fer what?"

"Su