ay about the time we'd get down to Cairo,
midnight--well wrapped up, and the face of neither showing, it
might be hard to tell one of them from the other."

"How'll you trade?" grinned Wilson. "Anybody kin git a mighty good
trade for this yaller lady of ours here. If she was mine I'd trade
her for a sack of last year potatoes. I reckon Jedge Clayton'll be
sick enough of her, time he gets expenses of this last trip paid,
gittin' her back."

"I'm not trading," said Dunwody, frowning and flushing. "But now
I'll tell you what I want you to do, when we get into Cairo. I may
have trouble with my prisoner, and I don't know any better man than
yourself to have around in a case like that. Do you think, if I
left it all to you, you could handle it?"

"Shore I could--what's the use of your troublin' yourself about it,
Colonel Dunwody? This here's more in my line."

Dunwody turned away with a sudden feeling of revulsion, almost of
nausea at the thought now in his mind. It was a few moments later
that he again approached Wilson.

"There's a French girl along with this prisoner of mine," said he.
"Just take them both along together. I reckon the French girl
won't make any disturbance--it's the other--the lady--her mistress.
She's apt to--to 'fomint' trouble. Handle her gently as you can.
You'll have to have help. The captain will not interfere. You
just substitute my prisoner for yours yonder at Cairo--I'll show
you where she is when the time comes. Once you have her aboard my
boat for St. Genevieve, you can come back and take care of your own
prisoners here. There may be another eagle or so in it. I am not
asking questions and want none asked. Do your work, that's all."

"You don't need to be a-skeered but what I'll do the work,
Colonel," smiled Wilson grimly. "I've had a heap o' trouble the
last week, and I'm about tired. I'll not stand no foolishness."

Had any friend seen Warville Dunwody that night, he must have
pronounced him ten years older than when the Mount Vernon had begun
her voyage.

CHAPTER VIII

THE SHADOW CABINET

"All very well, gentlemen! All very well!" repeated the man who
sat at the head of the table. "I do not deny anything you say.
None the less, the question remains, what were we to do with this
woman, since she was here? I confess my own relief at this message
from our agent, Captain Carlisle, telling of her temporary
disappearance."

As he spoke, he half pushed back