east two of the occupants opened up their throats and lungs and
gulped in the wet, fresh air. Never had anything been so glorious to
Truxton King as these first tremendous inhalations of pure, free air.
She felt his muscles expand; his whole body grew stronger and more
vital. Her heart was pounding violently against his leg; he could feel
its throbs, he could hear the quick, eager panting of her breath.

It was now that he began to wonder, to calculate against the plans of
their silent escort. Whither were they bound? When would his chance come
to strike the final, surprising blow? Only the greatest effort at
self-control kept him from ruining everything by premature action; his
exultation was getting the better of him. Coolness and patience were
greater assets now than strength and daring.

The boat turned in mid-stream and shot swiftly up the river, past the
black fortress with its scattered sentry lights, where slept a garrison
in sweet ignorance of the tragedy that was to come upon them when the
sun was high. The lights of the city itself soon peeped down into the
rain-swept waters; music from the distant cafes came faintly to the ears
of the midnight voyagers. A safe haven at their very elbows, and yet
unattainable.

The occasional creak of an oar, a whispered oath of dismay, the heavy
breathing of toilers, the soft blowing of the mist-that was all; no
other sound on the broad, still river. It was, indeed, a night fit for
the undertaking at hand.

Truxton began to chafe under the strain. His uneasiness was increased by
the certain conviction that before long they would be beyond the city,
the walls of which were gradually slipping past He could not even so
much as guess at their destination. There was also the likelihood of
encountering reinforcements, sent out to meet the boatmen, or for
protection at the time of landing. A hundred doubts and misgivings
assailed him. To suddenly open fire on the rascals went against the
grain. A dashing, running fight on shore was more to his liking. An
ill-timed move would foil them even as success was in their grasp.

He considered their chances if he were to overturn the frail boat and
strike out for shore in the darkness. This project he gave up at once:
he did not know the waters nor the banks between which they glided. They
were past the walls now and rowing less stealthily. Before long they
would be in a position to speak aloud; it would be awkward for him. The
situati