e. Only let
me out of the d--d place!"

A flash of triumph lit up Forrest's face, but it lasted only for a
second. Kate had suddenly turned upon them, and was standing with her
back to the wall. The hand which had been hidden in the folds of her
dress so long, was suddenly outstretched. There was a roar which rang
through the place like the rattle of artillery, the smell of gunpowder,
and a little cloud of smoke. Through it they could see her face; her
lips parted in a smile, the wild disorder of her hair, her sea-stained
gown, her splendid pose, all seemed to make her the central figure of
the little tableau.

"I have five more barrels," she said. "I fired that one to let you know
that I was in earnest. Now if you do not let us go free, and without
conditions, it will be you who will stay here instead of us, only you
will stay here for ever!"

CHAPTER XVI

The smoke cleared slowly away. Engleton had risen to his feet, the
light of a new hope blazing in his eyes. Forrest and Cecil de la Borne
stood close together near the door, which still stood ajar. The girl,
who stood with her back to the wall, saw their involuntary movement
towards it, and her voice rang out sharp and clear.

"If you try it on I shoot!" she exclaimed. "You know what that means,
Cecil. A pistol isn't a plaything with me."

Cecil looked no more toward the door. He came instead a little farther
into the room.

"My dear Kate," he said, "we are willing to admit, Forrest and I, that
we are beaten. You can do exactly what you like with us except leave us
here. Our little joke with Engleton is at an end. Perhaps we carried it
too far. If so, we must face the penalty. Take him away if you like.
Personally I do not find this place attractive."

Kate lowered her revolver and turned to Engleton.

"Come over to my side," she said. "We are going to leave this place."

Engleton staggered towards her. He had always been thin, but he seemed
to have lost more flesh in the last few days.

"For God's sake let's get out!" he said. "If I don't breathe some fresh
air soon, it will be the end of me."

"In any order you please," Cecil de la Borne said smiling. "The only
condition I make is that before you leave the place altogether, Kate, I
have a few minutes' conversation with you. You can hold your pistol to
my temple, if you like, while I talk, but there are a few things I must
say."

"Afterwards, then," she answered. "We are going first out of t