Cruel As The Grave

The bailiff hastily dispatched his breakfast, and the horses being

ready, he called to his young assistant to follow him, and he went out

and got into his saddle.

"Where the deuce am I to go after them, when there are so many roads to

choose from?" groaned old Purley, in sore perplexity of spirit.

"Would they not be likely to make straight for the east and a seaport?"

inquired farmer Nye suggestively.

"To be sure they would," exclaimed Mr. Purley. "So now, Munson, we will

go right back upon the road we came last night," he added, being still

in ignorance as to the lost day.

"And as the stable boy told me, they had taken the wagon horses to ride,

and those horses were then fairly knocked up with fatigue, while ours

are now quite fresh, we may very soon overtake them," put in Munson,

artfully.

And waving their hats in adieux to the farmer and his family, they rode

off at full speed in pursuit of the fugitives. But they had not ridden

more than a hundred yards, and had but just reached the four

cross-roads, when they were both startled by a shrill-"Whist!"

They drew their reins, and looked around just as the head of a negro boy

emerged from the bushes, exclaiming "Hallo, Marster!"

"Who are you? What do you want?" demanded Purley.

"I'm Bill, and I don't want nothing. But I know what you want!"

"What do I want?"

"To know which way the run-a-way lady and gemplan went."

"I do know, they went this way," said Purley, pointing straight before

him.

"No, they didn't neyther! they was too sharp for that, they said how you

would be sure to search for 'em on that road, just as you are a doing of

now; so they would take another road."

"That was likely too! Boy, do you know which road they took?"

"Yes, sirree."

"Then tell me."

"I will if you'll give me a quarter," was the moderate conditions of

this treaty.

"Here, take it!" exclaimed Mr. Parley, pitching the boy the silver coin

in question.

"Thanky, Marster," grinned the lad, picking up the treasure.

"Now tell me."

"Well, Marster, they went along that left han' road till they got to the

next turning, and then they turned to the left ag'in and kept on that

tact towards that gap in the mountain where you see the sun set in the

arternoon."