“Well that’ll do for the present.  I want to know, before you go any further, how you are to git the gal out without the key, which, I take it, Duffel is very careful to secure about his own person?”

“Key! the deuce!” replied Bill, taken aback, for a moment, by the query.  “I hadn’t thought of that, but it’s no difference; my plans are not alf made out in the details yet; but this is no bar to them; for I’d like to see the lock that Bill Mitchel can’t make a key to fit, if he has a fair chance.  I can make a false key in a day that will open the door to the captain’s room.  So that difficulty is settled.”

“And now for the rest of your plan.”

“Well, when we get all ready, I’ll just drop a note to some of the vigilance men, and tell them when and where they can find Duffel taking care of a stolen horse.  This will save us from the malice of any of his confederates, as they will not suspect us, and place Duffel in the hands of the officers of the government; and he will not get away soon, I’m thinking!”

“So you expect to have Duffel captured about the same time you are liberating his gal.  Well, that’s pretty sharp; I think you have not wasted your time in Duffel’s service, and after all, ought to thank him for giving you such good lessons in plotting.  But you have left one loophole yet, for all that.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been tryin’ to think what you will do with the gal when she’s brought out of the cave.  She’ll have to tell where she’s been, and that’ll fix all of us.”

“I have that matter all settled.  It won’t do to take the girl home, that’s certain; and this is my plan for action on that score:  You see I have been thinking this matter over in my mind before to-day.  I didn’t know but we should have a split with Duffel on the Duval affair, and I was preparing for such a state of things in case it did come.  As I have told you before, I know where there is a magnificent cave for our purpose in the mountains of Virginia, to which it has been my determination to retreat, should anything go wrong here.  Well, I intend to take this young lady along with us to that cave.”

“Dang the women!  I don’t like to be bothered with ’em.  Ef you are goin’ to that place, why not let the gal go home and ‘blow’ all she’s a mind to?  It wouldn’t hurt us, ef she did let out the secret.”

“It might, though.  Some of the members of the League might chance to find us hereafter, and inform on us out of revenge.”

“But we can swear the gal to keep still about who let her out.”

“Pooh! do you suppose she would or could do it?”

“Why, yes, I think it’s more’n likely she’d keep her tongue out of gratitude.  She’s no common gal, that, and you may put a peg there.”

“Ah, that’s it exactly.  She’s no common girl, as you say; and I have been envying Duffel his good fortune ever since she has been in the cave.  The truth is, I was smitten by her charms the first time I saw her, and was half tempted to play Duffel false then; and now that I can serve myself and disappoint him at the same time, I shall not be slow to avail myself of the opportunity.”