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 moonshiners 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 scrape."
"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'!"