lk and
bonmots; I'm going to be otherwise employed for some time, Miss Tullis.
Do you know the river very well?"

"Not at all," she replied. "I only know that the barge docks are below
here somewhere. I'm sure we can get into the city if we can find the
docks. Let me take the oars, too, Mr. King. I can row."

"No. Please sit where you are and keep your eyes ahead. Can you see
where we're going?"

"I can see the lights. We're in mid-stream, I think. It's so very dark
and the wind is coming up in a gale. It's--it's going to storm. Don't
you think we'd better try for a landing along the walls? They say the
river is very treacherous." She was trembling like a leaf.

"I'll row over to the east side, but I don't like to get too close to
the walls. Some one may have heard the shouts of our friends back
there."

Not another word passed between them for ten or twelve minutes. She
peered anxiously ahead, looking for signs of the barge dock, which lay
somewhere along this section of the city wall. In time, of course, the
marooned desperadoes might be expected to find a way to pursue them, or,
at least, to alarm watchful confederates on the city side of the river.
It was a tense, anxious quarter of an hour for the liberated pair. So
near to absolute safety, and yet so utterly in the dark as to what the
next moment, might develop--weal or woe.

At least the sound of rapidly working rowlocks came to the girl's ears.
They were slipping along in the dense blackness beneath the walls,
making as little noise as possible and constantly on the lookout for the
long, low dock.

"They're after us," grated Truxton, in desperation. "They've got word to
friends one way or another. By Jove! I'm nearly fagged, too. I can't
pull much farther. Hello! What's this?"

The side of the boat caromed off' a solid object in the water, almost
spilling them into the wind-blown river.

"The docks!" she whispered. "We struck a small scow, I think. Can you
find your way in among the coal barges?"

He paddled along slowly, feeling his way, scraping alongside the big
barges which delivered coal from the distant mines to the docks along
the river front. At last he found an opening and pushed through. A
moment later they were riding under the stern of a broad, cargoless
barge, plumb up against the water-lapped piles of the dock.

Standing in the bow of the boat he managed to pull himself up over the
slippery edge. It was the work of a second to draw he