“On my oath, Bates.”
“I know he is now; and more than that I always suspected him, but never expected to find he’d prove such a cool, calculating scoundrel; but I’ll be even with him, trust me.”
“And this girl—what of her?” said Bates; “we are all pretty hard up at this moment; two hundred pounds would be a fine windfall for us.”
“So it would; and more than that, I know all about her and where she is.”
“The devil!”
“And it would be the easiest thing in the world to rescue her, for she’s pining away, and is strictly guarded both night and day by a deaf and dumb Nubian slave—a eunuch, in fact—a fierce, tall, ugly-looking devil.”
“Never mind; if we can only once get into the apartment, we shan’t have much difficulty in getting clear off with the girl,” said Bates; “the colonel is not supposed to know that you or I have any hand in this affair. If what you say proves true, Jack, we can easily put the colonel out of the way, and we shall be all right again. What do you say? Shall we try it to-night?”
“I’m willing. I’m dying to have revenge on the deceitful rascal.”
“Then to-night let it be. Come with me; the Dozen are assembled in a quiet place, waiting for me. I will settle with the old landlord.”
“And so will I,” thought Captain Jack to himself, “and sooner than he expects.”