Part 75 (2/2)
”Then I'll have ter leave you-uns now. Take it as easy as yer kin.
Breakfast will be brought ter ye, and when another night comes, a guard will go with yer out o' ther maountings. Good-by.”
He was going.
”Wait!” cried Frank. ”Will you shake hands before you go?”
He held out a hand, and Muriel seemed to hesitate. After a few moments, the masked lad shook his head, and, without another word, left the room.
”Begorra!” cried Barney, scratching his head, ”thot felly is worse than Oi thought! Oi don't know so much about him now as Oi did bafore Oi met him at all, at all!”
The boys were given much food for conversation. They made themselves as comfortable as possible, and talked over the thrilling events of the night.
”If Kate Kenyon had not told me that her brother was serving time as a convict, I should think this Muriel must be her brother,” said Frank.
”Av he's not her brither, it's badly shtuck on her he must be, Oi dunno,” observed Barney. ”An' av he be shtuck on her, pwhoy don't he git onter th' collar av thot Miller?”
That was a question Frank could not answer. Finally, when they had tired of talking, the boys lay down and tried to sleep.
Frank was beginning to doze when his ears seemed to detect a slight rustling in that very room, and his eyes flew open in a twinkling. He started up, a cry of wonder surging to his lips, and being smothered there.
Kate Kenyon stood within ten feet of him!
As Frank started up, the girl swiftly placed a finger on her lips, warning him to be silent.
Frank sprang to his feet, and Barney Mulloy sat up, rubbing his eyes and beginning to speak.
”Pwhat's th' matter now, me b'y? Are yez---- Howly shmoke!”
Barney clasped both hands over his mouth, having caught the warning gestures from Frank and the girl. Still the exclamation had escaped his lips, although it was not uttered loudly.
Swiftly Kate Kenyon flitted across the room, listening with her ear to the door to hear any sound beyond. After some moments, she seemed satisfied that the moons.h.i.+ners had not been aroused by anything that had happened within that room, and she came back, standing close to Frank, and whispering:
”Ef you-uns will trust me, I judge I kin git yer out o' this sc.r.a.pe.”
”Trust you!” exclaimed Frank, softly, as he caught her hand. ”We have you to thank for our lives! Kate--your pardon!--Miss Kenyon, how can we ever repay you?”
”Don't stop ter talk 'bout that now,” she said, with chilling roughness. ”Ef you-uns want ter live, an' yer want ter git erway frum Wade Miller, git reddy ter foller me.”
”We are ready.”
”Begorra! we're waitin'!”
”But how are we to leave this room? How did you enter?”
She silently pointed to a dark opening in the corner, and they saw that a small trapdoor was standing open.
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