It this fellow Carver had been one of the assailants, then it was absolutely certain that Kirby must have also been present--the leader of the attack.

This inevitably meant that both men had been aboard the steamer, and later were put ashore at the mouth of the Illinois.

And now that I thought about it, why not?
It was no accident, and I wondered that the possibility had never occurred to me before.

The gambler naturally knew all the gossip of the river, and, beyond question, he would be aware of the reported existence of this underground station for runaway slaves.

It was common talk as far down as St.Louis, and his mind would instantly revert to the possibility that the fleeing Rene might seek escape through the assistance of Shrunk.