in time, too. Fortunately for the girls they were in a
sort of depression, and by crouching down they got out of sight, as
one of the men came forward to peer through the underbrush. He saw
nothing, as was evidenced by his report a moment later.

"There's not a soul here," he said. "There's been some picnic party
around, but they've gone. It's as deserted as a graveyard."

"I'm glad we came away from our luncheon," whispered Cora, as the men
resumed their talk. The wind sprang up, for a moment, and carried
their tones away from the girls, so that only an indistinct murmur
could be heard. Then there came clear talk again.

"Well, what's the program, then?" asked one whom the girls could tell
was Moran. He was the same man they had seen before in the drug store.

"Get at Shane first of all," decided Kelly. "I'm willing to let Bruce
do it, even if I am Irish."

"We'll all have to call on him," said Bruce, grimly, "but only one
need actually do the business. We've got to deal with him in two ways.
We've got to make him tell what we want brought out in court, and
we've got to scare him so that he won't tell what we don't want known.
And there are two ways of doing that."

"How?" asked Kelly.

"First we can offer him a reward. It will be worth it, even if we have
to pay something to have him testify as we wish. The committee allowed
us a certain sum for--well, let us say for witness fees. I'd rather
pay him a hundred dollars and have it all over with. It's better to
have a friend than an enemy, and you never can tell which way a thing
like this is going to swing."

"Sposin' he won't take the cash?" asked Moran.

"Then I have another plan," and Bruce laughed bitterly. "I guess I
don't need to say what it is."

"I'm wise," remarked Kelly. "Only--not too rough, you understand. He's
a feeble old man."

"No rougher than's necessary," agreed Bruce.

Cora clasped her hands, and looked with fear in her eyes at her chums.

"We----we mustn't let them harm dear old Denny!" whispered Belle,
shivering with nervousness.

"Hush!" cautioned Cora. "Don't talk--think!"

There was a movement on the other side of the screen of bushes, as
indicating that the men were about to leave.

"Well, we'll let it go until to-night then," said Kelly.

"Until to-night," agreed Bruce. "And we know, in case of a slip-up,
that there's no motor boat around here that can catch us when we make
our get-away."

"There's the _Dixie_," suggested