They will kill me if they catch me--they will fire
over the wall. Oh, for God's sake, help me quick!"

"She's not there?" he repeated stupidly, and then at her vehement
"No, _no_! I tell you _no_!" he drew a breath of deep astonishment
and chagrin, and turned to stow her safely low in the boat.
Hurriedly he and the one-eyed man bent over their paddles, and very
swiftly the long, dark canoe went gliding down the stream, but not
any too swiftly, for in an instant they heard a triumphant yell
behind them, and then light, thudding feet along the path.

Steadily Billy urged the canoe forward with powerful strokes that
seemed to be lifting it out of the water at each impulse, and they
swept past a wall that reaching to the river bank must block their
pursuers for a time, and though there was a path after that, there
was soon another wall, and no more pursuit along the water edge. But
every opening ahead now might mean an ambush, and as soon as a
narrow lane showed between the houses to the left, the one-eyed man
steered swiftly there and Billy sprang out with the girl and they
raced through the lane into the adjoining street.

He looked up and down it; either they had got out at the wrong lane
or the cab they had ordered to be in waiting had failed them, but
there was no time for speculation and they walked on as fast as they
could without the appearance of flight. The stray loiterers on the
dark street stared curiously as they passed, to see a young American
in gray tweeds, his cap pulled over his eyes, with a woman in the
Mohammedan wrap and mantle, but no one stopped them, and in another
minute they saw a lonely cab rattling through the streets and
climbed quickly in.

"And now, for Heaven's sake, tell me all about it!" besought Billy
B. Hill, staring curiously at his most unforeseen companion.

With a deep-drawn sigh of relief she had snuggled back against the
cushioned seat, and now she flung off the shrouding mantle and
looked up to meet his gaze with a smile of excited triumph.

She had the prettiest teeth he had ever seen, lovely little rows of
pearls, and the biggest and brightest of dark eyes with wide lashes
curling dramatically back. Even in the thrill and elation of the
moment there was a spark of provocation in those eyes for the
good-looking young man who stared down at her, and Billy would have
been a very wooden young man, indeed, if he had not felt a tingling
excitement in this unexpected capture, fo