er portions of
the wilderness for two or three miles on foot, when they met Duffel, who
had prepared horses for their flight, as it was a good long way to the
cave. The villain approached Eveline, and said:

"I hope you will pardon the seeming rudeness which necessity compels me to
manifest toward you in the present emergency. I hope soon to find you a
pleasant resting-place, where I shall have leisure and opportunity to make
explanations and amplify on this brief apology."

To this insulting speech Eveline made no reply, but she cast a defiant and
piercing look upon the miscreant, which made him quail with cowardly fear,
and took from his manner much of its bold assurance. He saw in that one
glance of her eye an unconquerable resolve to meet him as a foe, and _never
to be vanquished_; the victory he had flattered himself as being nearly
won, he now saw afar off, unless the most beastly violence should be
resorted to. But without a moment's delay, she was placed upon a horse,
himself and accomplices mounted on others, and, he by her side, with Bill
and Dick in the rear, the whole party pushed forward for the cave, where
they arrived a little past the middle of the afternoon without any serious
adventure.

Duffel placed his captive in the Captain's room, with the bed-room to
retire to at her pleasure.

"I trust," said he, "you will find this a comfortable place; and be assured
I shall strive to do all in my power to make your stay here as agreeable as
possible. Books you shall have whenever you desire them; there are a number
in the case yonder, and any others you may wish for shall be procured. The
length of time you will remain my guest depends upon your own choice, with
one condition annexed, of which I will speak to you more fully to-morrow.
At present I have urgent business to attend to elsewhere, which cannot be
delayed; I regret to leave you so soon; I hope you will pardon me, and I
will endeavor to make amends in the future for any apparent neglect at the
present. You will find the key to the bed-room in the lock on the inside;
make yourself easy during my absence. I shall lake the precaution to lock
the door of egress and ingress to this room, so that you may rest in
perfect security that no one can harm you. And now good evening, for I must
be off, and may pleasant dreams attend your slumbers."

With this mockingly polite address and adieu he left the room and the cave,
securing the door after him, and was