Get your
arms, men! Cover them, quick!"

"Wait!" said Carlisle quietly. "We're armed, and we've got you
covered." His weapon and that of Kammerer shone gray in the half
light. Dunwody threw himself against the doorpost with a growl of
anger.

"You've been plotting against us!" he said to Josephine grimly.
"Well!"

"You are unjust, as usual, Sir," said Carlisle hotly. "On the
contrary, she just kept us from killing you--which by all the
rights of God and man we ought to have done,--and will do, some
day."

"What do you mean?" demanded Dunwody dully. "You--she saved--"

"It iss the truth," assented Kammerer, in his turn. "It wass the
lady who hass saved you. She hass spoken for peace and not for
bloodshed. You owe to her your life."

"My life!" he said, turning toward her. "You--"

"I've assumed command here," interrupted Josephine calmly. "I've
paroled these gentlemen."

"Indeed!" said Dunwody sarcastically. "That's very nice, for
them!".

She went on unperturbed. "I'm going to set them free. Judge
Clayton and Mr. Jones and you others, too, must go on home. You
will have to surrender to the courts. These men are going to leave
the state. All of you must disperse--at once."

"And you yourself,--" began Dunwody grimly; "what do you plan?"

"I remain. I am a hostage. It will now be known where I am. You
will be responsible for me, now. I fancy that will suit Washington
as well as to detain Captain Carlisle as my jailer any longer. If
I thought I needed him, I would not let him go. We are all of us
going to be under parole, don't you see?"

"Is it your wish that we should give parole in these circumstances,
Dunwody?" Judge Clayton himself smiled rather sardonically.

"I don't see why not, after all," said Dunwody, at length, slowly.
"I don't see why that isn't about as wise as anything we can do.
The law will do the rest of this work, and we must all be ready for
it, as she says. Only one thing, gentlemen, before we part. As to
this young lady here, I'll kill the first man, friend or foe, who
raises a breath against her. Do I make myself plain? Put down
your guns, then. I won't turn any man away, not even an enemy.
Have you eaten, gentlemen? Are you rested enough to go to-night?"

An hour later clattering hoofs once more resounded along the
Tallwoods road.

CHAPTER XIX

THE ENEMY

Leaning against the pillar of the gallery, Dunwody watched them
all, old friends, la