Cruel As The Grave

Horse! horse! ... and chase!--MARNION.

Farmer Nye and Robert Munson remained standing with their heads

uncovered, looking after the fugitives until the sound of their horses'

hoofs died away in the distance, and then they turned towards each other

and impulsively grasped each the other's hand, and shook hands as

comrades.

Next Farmer Nye turned to the negroes who were squatting about the

stable-yard, wondering, no doubt, at all they had seen and heard; and he

told them to disperse to their quarters, and keep still tongues in their

heads, if they wished to keep their heads on their shoulders.

"And now we'll go back to the house and get a drop of home-brewed, and

go to bed," said the farmer, starting off at a brisk trot, and beckoning

his young companion to follow him.

"I mean to manage so as Old Purley shall be made to believe as the

prisoner escaped through his door," said Munson, as he came up.

"That'll be bully!" said the farmer.

They went back to the house, consulted the tall old-fashioned clock in

the corner of the hall, found it was just eleven, and they took their

drop of "home-brewed," and went to rest.

Robert Munson, with design, threw himself down upon the mattress outside

the carefully locked door of the chamber, from which he had helped his

prisoners to escape. And being very much fatigued, he fell asleep, and

slept long and late.

The first persons up in the house were the farmer's daughter Kitty, and

her old maiden aunt Molly.

They came down from their attic chambers and walked on tiptoes past the

sleeping Munson, so as not to wake him. They went down stairs and had

breakfast got ready, but had to wait very long before either the farmer

or the young man appeared. When they did come down, however, and

apologized for their tardiness, the women inquired for the other guests,

and were told that they must not be disturbed.

The day passed slowly.

It was late in the afternoon before old Purley awoke and finding the

room quite dark, and feeling himself still very drowsy, he merely turned

over and went to sleep again. And still overpowered by the combined

action of the laudanum and the beer-opium and hops, he slept on until a

very late hour of the night, when at length he awoke; but perceiving

that all was quite dark and still, he lay quietly in bed, thinking this

was about the longest night he had ever spent in his life. At last he

got up, and opened the blinds to see if it was near day. And perceiving

by a faint light streak along the horizon that the morning was at hand,

he opened the other blinds, and began to dress himself as well as he

could in the semi-darkness.