the one to keep ship and look after
the prisoner, and Darius instructed the watchman to be free with his
blows in case Elias tried to pick up a row.

"If he undertakes to yip even once, give him a dose over the head that
will put him to sleep, an' it won't be much harm if you kill such a
cur as he is. Keep your wits about you, lad, an' remember that the
prisoner is the one who can make the most trouble."

Then the old man saw to it that each of our weapons was loaded, after
which he led the way to the rail where the canoe was made fast.

The little craft would not carry more than three, therefore two trips
were necessary in order to land us all, and when we stood on the bank
Darius proposed that Jerry paddle the boat up to the mill.

"Why do we want her there?" I asked, thinking he was providing for a
means of escape. "We couldn't all take passage in her, and in case we
need to get away in a hurry, it might be done easier by striking into
the woods."

"I'm not thinkin' how we can get her off, for if the plan fails to
work there's little chance any of us will need the canoe," Darius said
grimly, and I began to understand that he might be more of a fighter
than would suit me. "It may be we shall want to send some prisoners
down to keep Macomber company, an' then a small craft will come in
handy, for their boat is hauled up high an' dry among the bushes; she
is so heavy that it would be a long job to float her."

Jerry was so impatient to be in the thick of danger that he hardly
waited for the old man to conclude his long-winded speech, and before
the last word had hardly been spoken he was paddling up stream at a
rate which told that he would arrive at the rendezvous some time in
advance of us who were to walk.

Neither was Darius willing to waste much time, and when Jerry was lost
to view in the darkness he struck through the underbrush toward the
highway, leading the party, while I brought up the rear.

It can well be fancied that we moved with the utmost caution, for
people do not set out on such an enterprise as we were bent upon with
any great blowing of horns, and although none of us were what might be
called woodsmen, I flatter myself that we did not bungle the job very
badly.

Hardly more than a quarter-hour had passed when Darius left the
underbrush to cut across toward the river, and within five minutes
more we were halted near the southeast corner of the mill, not having
heard or seen anything of tho