re-trains!" exclaimed Clay. "There are no
ore-trains but ours. It must be along the line of the road."

"MacWilliams says he knows every foot of land along the railroad," said
Stuart, "and he is sure the place Burke means is the old fortress on
the Platta inlet, because--"

"It is the only place," interrupted MacWilliams, "where there is no
surf. They could run small boats up the inlet and unload in smooth
water within twenty feet of the ramparts; and another thing, that is
the only point on the line with a wagon road running direct from it to
the Capital. It's an old road, and hasn't been travelled over for
years, but it could be used. No," he added, as though answering the
doubt in Clay's mind, "there is no other place. If I had a map here I
could show you in a minute; where the beach is level there is a jungle
between it and the road, and wherever there is open country, there is a
limestone formation and rocks between it and the sea, where no boat
could touch."

"But the fortress is so conspicuous," Clay demurred; "the nearest
rampart is within twenty feet of the road. Don't you remember we
measured it when we thought of laying the double track?"

"That is just what Burke says," urged Stuart. "That is the reason he
gives for leaving only three men on guard--'I think more than that
number might attract attention to the spot, as they might be seen from
the ore-trains.'"

"Have you told any one of this?" Clay asked. "What have you done so
far?"

"We've done nothing," said Stuart. "We lost our nerve when we found
out how much we knew, and we decided we'd better leave it to you."

"Whatever we do must be done at once," said Clay. "They will come for
the arms to-night, most likely, and we must be there first. I agree
with you entirely about the place. It is only a question now of our
being on time. There are two things to do. The first thing is, to
keep them from getting the arms, and the second is, if we are lucky, to
secure them for ourselves. If we can pull it off properly, we ought to
have those rifles in the mines before midnight. If we are hurried or
surprised, we must dump them off the fort into the sea." Clay laughed
and looked about him at the men. "We are only following out General
Bolivar's saying 'When you want arms take them from the enemy.' Now,
there are three places we must cover. This house, first of all," he
went on, inclining his head quickly toward the two sisters, "then the
c