"I am not so sure of that."
"No?" he asked, vaguely surprised.
"Handsome, I want you to take them, one by one, to the pool in the woods, strip them, and scrub them with soap, and water, and sand, if necessary. I want you to make sure that there is no suggestion of disguise about any of the three. Do it at once—and when it is done, no matter whether there is a question of disguise about any of them or not, bring them to me."
Handsome departed without a word. It was plain that Black Madge was accustomed to obedience. It was plain also that her suspicions were thoroughly aroused; for now she paced up and down again restlessly, and continued so to pace until almost an hour later Handsome stood before her again.
"Well?" she demanded.
"Two of them were plainly disguised," he replied.
"And the other?" she demanded, frowning.
"The other, as plainly was not disguised."
"And the two who were disguised—what of them?"
"I cannot tell if they are known to each other. I cannot tell whether they are spies or not, only it is quite likely that they are."