out the moving figures of men, but Brennan
chuckled, and pointed his finger at the glare.

"Lacy ain't fergettin' the profit in all this," he whispered hoarsely.
"The boys are goin' ter be dry, an' he'll sell 'em all they
want--wouldn't mind if I had some myself. Is it dark enough, mate?"

"The sooner the better!"

"That's my ticket. Come on then, but don't make a sound; them lads are
more liable to hear than they are to see us. Let me go first."

The log was at the other end of the little island, but there was a
considerable rift in the rock surface, not deep, but of sufficient
width to permit the passage of a body. The jagged stone made the way
rough in the dark, and Westcott found himself at the upper extremity,
gashed and bruised by the contact.

Brennan had already lowered himself into the water, assisted in the
downward climb by some low, tough bushes whose tendrils clung
tenaciously to the smooth rock. Westcott followed silently, and found
footing in about three feet of water, where it swirled around the base
of the island. From this low point, their eyes close to the surface of
the stream, the men could dimly discern the shore lines silhouetted
against the slightly lighter sky. They crouched there in deep shadow,
but discovered no evidence that their effort at escape had been
observed. A dog was barking somewhere not far away, and once there was
a rustle along the nearer bank, as though a man wormed his way
cautiously through the thick chaparral. But this sound also ceased
after a moment, and all was still. Brennan put his lips close to his
companion's ear.

"Got yer cartridges tied up? That's all right; hand 'em over. Now
give me your belt. No; pass the end under the log an' buckle it; not
too tight. You hang on to the outside, an' I'll push off. If yer have
ter paddle ter keep in the current don't let yer hands er feet come to
the surface--understand?"

"Certainly."

"All right then; are you all set? Holy smoke, this is going to be some
yacht ride."

The log did not even grate as it loosened its slight hold on the rock,
and began the voyage down-stream. The current was swift enough to bear
it and its burden free from the island, although it moved slowly and
noiselessly on its way. The two men deeply emerged on either side,
with heads held rigid against the wet bark, were indistinguishable.
Out from the deeper shadow of the rock they drifted into the wider
stream below, Brennan gen