"That's pwhat!" chuckled Barney. "An' it's your trate, me lad."
"I will treat," said Frank, crestfallen. "I am not nearly so smart as I thought I was."
"Muriel?" cried Kate, dashing to the window. "Where is he?"
She did not hesitate to appear in the window and signal to the dashing young moonshiner, who returned her salute, and motioned for her to come out.
"He wants ter see me in er hurry," said the girl. "I sent word ter him by Dummy that ther boys war har, an' that's how he happened ter turn up. Come, Rufe, go out with me. Muriel will be glad to see yer."
"And I shall be glad ter see him," declared the escaped convict.
Kate bade the boys remain there, telling them she would call them if they were wanted, and then, with Rufe following, she hurried down the stairs, and hastened to meet the boy moonshiner, who had halted on the bank at some distance from the old mill.
Watching from the window, Frank and Barney saw her hasten up to Muriel, saw her speak swiftly, although they could not hear her words, saw Muriel nod and seem to reply quite as swiftly, and then saw the young leader of the Black Caps shake her hand in a manner that denoted pleasure and affection.
"Ye're a daisy, Frankie, me b'y," snickered Barney Mulloy; "but fer wance ye wur badly mishtaken."
"I was all of that," confessed Frank, as if slightly ashamed. "I thought myself far shrewder than I am."