Her bright eyes gleamed as she groped about, and drew forth first parts of some dried meat and then pieces of string and paper. Some birds fluttered away as she did this, as if they had discovered this cranny in Meg’s storehouse, and had been pillaging its contents. “Gone!” muttered the woman in some dismay. “The package that had the money and the papers is not here.” She groped vainly in the cavity. Evidently she had there secreted the money and the papers that she had taken from Tim and Rodney in the old cabin. Now they were gone. “Who has taken it?” she gasped. “Ah! maybe the witches sent the eagles for it. Those boys! they make me feel sad. But Meg has her captive. Meg must think of herself and her army.” Meantime, the boys had left the vicinity of the cave, and they thought it best to hide in a thicket near the road until the time for again seeing Meg arrived. Marcus Ellison had explained his suspicions to Dean. “That woman certainly knows something about the murder for which my father has been arrested,” he said. “She may not have known the value of the papers.” “Oh, I do not judge from that.” “What then?” “Her talk about crime and her captive.” “You are sure you know him?” “Yes, James Conroyd’s old hired man.” “That’s the man Lawyer Montague believed was the murderer.” “I think so, too.” “He tried to cast the guilt on your father?” “I know that.” “And as soon as Lawyer Montague began watching him, Manseur ran away.” “He didn’t run far, it seems,” remarked Marcus. “No, Meg has him.” “Yes; and she has some secret about him that she boasts of, as you heard her. Oh! I am certain she knows everything about him and Conroyd’s murderer.” CHAPTER XXXIV. IN A HARD PLIGHT. They were hungry and sleepy, but about eight o’clock that morning several vehicles passed down the road near them, and a boy came by with a basket of apples, and Dean ventured to steal forth and beg some of him. Then he and Marcus slept until noon. Then they talked and worried, and finally Marcus said: “Dean, I’m going back to the cave.” “What for?” “To see Meg.” “But she said not to come until night.” “I’m afraid I couldn’t find the way at night.” Dean was quite as anxious as Marcus, and they retraced their way to the hills. Without much difficulty they located the entrance to the cave. Here Marcus paused. “What had we better do?” he asked of Dean. “Wait here for Meg.” “Until night?” “Yes; she said so.” “I’m afraid she’ll forget all about us.” “Then let us seek her.” “Come on.” It was a venturesome and dubious experiment threading the mazy labyrinths of the cave. They groped on and on, and finally emerged into an open space, but the darkness was intense. “I am sure that this is the main room in the cave,” said Marcus. “Have you a match?” “Yes.” “Light it.” Marcus did so. Its rays revealing some pine knots near by, he ignited one. “Yes; this is the central cave,” he affirmed. “Where the captive was?” “Exactly.” “But he?”