In her eagerness to save us--to have him aid her in the
work--she must have led him to suspect that one of us had been making
love to her."

Barney whistled a bit, and then he shyly said:

"Oi wunder av wan of us didn't do a bit av thot?"

"Not I," protested Frank. "We talked in a friendly manner--in fact, she
promised to be a friend to me. I may have expressed admiration for her
hair, or something of the sort, but I vow I did not make love to her."

"Well, me b'y, ye have a thrick av gettin' all th' girruls shtuck on yez
av ye look at thim, so ye didn't nade ter make love."

"It's not my fault, Barney."

"It's nivver a fault at all, at all, me lad. Oi wish Oi wur built th'
soame woay, but it's litthle oice I cut wid th' girruls. This south av
Oireland brogue thot Oi foind mesilf unable to shake counts against me a
bit, Oi belave."

"I should think Miller and Muriel would clash."

"It's plain enough that Miller is afraid av Muriel."

"And Muriel intends to keep him thus. I fancy it was a good thing for us
that Kate Kenyon suspected Wade Miller of having a hand in our capture,
and told Muriel that we had been carried off by him, for I fancy that is
exactly what happened. Muriel was angry with Miller, and he seized the
opportunity to call the fellow down. But for that, he might not have
made such a hustle to save us."

"Thin we should be thankful thot Muriel an' Miller do not love ache
ither."

The boys continued to discuss the situation for some time, and then they
fell to examining the room in which they were imprisoned. It did not
seem to have a window anywhere, and the single door appeared to be the
only means of entering or leaving the place.

"There's little show of escaping from this room," said Frank.

"Roight ye are," nodded Barney. "This wur built to kape iverything safe
thot came in here."

A few minutes later there was a sound at the door, and Muriel came in,
with two of the Black Caps at his heels.

"Ther boys have agreed ter give ye ther chance o' ther cards," said the
boy moonshiner. "An' yo're goin' ter have a fair an' squar' deal."

"We will have to submit," said Frank, quietly.

"You will have ter let ther boys bind yer hands afore ye leave this
room," said Muriel.

The men each held the end of a stout rope, and the boys were forced to
submit to the inconvenience of having their hands bound behind them.
Barney protested, but Frank kept silent, knowing it was useless to say
anythin