“To-night—any time—the sooner the better!”
“Will you be on hand yourself, square?”
“No! To avoid the faintest shadow of suspicion—though such is not likely to rest on me in any case—I will start for Baltimore immediately, within the very hour, and there remain till all the hubbub her disappearance causes has passed away. You will keep her securely in your hidden cave all the time; and when the excitement has died out I will come and relieve you of your charge.”
“You’re a brick, square—you are, by Lord Harry! What will be your next dodge, then?”
“That’s as may be; most probably I shall take her with me to England. That’s to be thought of yet, however; but I’ll find a way, never fear.”
“Square, they ought to ’lect you to the Senate—dang my buttons if they oughtn’t! When I get unseaworthy I’m going to set up for myself; can lie and fight, and roar at ’tagonists like a brick; and got all the other qualifications, too numerous to mention.”
And with this slander on senators in general, Black Bart clapped half a plug of tobacco in the other cheek, and indulged in a quiet chuckle.
“Well, that’s all, I believe,” said the judge, rising. “You think you will know this girl when you see her?”
“I won’t—t’other one will—trust me, square; I’ll go off and see him now, and him and me will take a stroll round that way.”
“If she could be inveigled from the house after night it would be the best time and way,” said the judge, musingly.