A watch-dog that lay upon the mat outside got up and wagged his tail, and laid down again, as if to express his willingness that any inmate might leave the house who wished to do so, though no stranger should enter it except over his dead body.

"Sensible dog!" said Munson, as with more precaution he closed and locked the outer door, and took that key also with him.

"You must not attempt to escape with your wagon; but must ride your horses, which will be much more efficacious both for swiftness and for their ability to go through places where you could not take a wagon,"

said Munson, as they walked across the farm-yard.

But when they drew near the stable, they were set upon by a couple of watch-dogs, who, barking furiously, barred their farther progress.

"There is no other way!" exclaimed Munson, and drawing a double barrelled pistol from his pocket, he shot one dog dead, while the other ran howling away.

Then with some difficulty they forced the door, and while Lyon remained on the outside with Sybil, young Munson entered the stable and led out their two horses.

"Here are several bridles, and here is one side-saddle, which will suit Mrs. Berners, if you have no scruple about borrowing them," suggested Munson.

"I should have no scruple about borrowing anything from anybody to aid my wife's escape. Besides, there is my wagon more than double the value of the things that we require; I will leave that in pledge," said Mr.

Berners.

"Just so," a.s.sented Munson.

And all this time he had been arranging the side-saddle and bridle upon Sybil's horse. As soon as it was ready Mr. Berners came around to lift his wife into her seat.

"One moment, dear Lyon," said Sybil, pausing to adjust her dress.

While she did so, Munson again spoke to Mr. Berners.

"You have your pocket compa.s.s?"

"Yes."

"Then I advise you to use it as soon as it is light, to direct your course. And do not go toward the east, for old Purley will pursue you in that direction, under the impression that you will try to reach another seaport town, and get off in a ship. But make for the interior, for the West, and get away as fast and as far as you can. Be careful to keep as much as possible in the woods, even though your progress should be slower through them than it would be in the open country. And now excuse my presuming to give you so much counsel; but you know I have been upon the war path, out among the red-skins, and am up to hunting and flying."

"I thank you--we both thank you from the depths of our souls. And we pray that the day may come when we shall be able to prove our grat.i.tude," said Lyon, earnestly.

"Never mind that! But put madam into her seat. She is ready now; and, indeed, the sooner you are off the better," answered Munson.

Mr. Berners advanced towards Sybil, when the whole party was stopped by a terrible event.

"No you don't, you infernal villain! I have caught you, have I? Stand!"

exclaimed a voice of thunder, and the stout farmer stood before them, at the head of all his negroes, and with a loaded musket in his hand!

Like lightning young Munson threw himself before Sybil, drew a pistol from his breast, and levelled it straight at the heart of their opponent, exclaiming:

"Out of the way, you devil! and let her pa.s.s. Out of the way this instant, or, by my life, I will kill you! I will! I will kill you, and hang for her sake!"

The man raised his musket, and aimed it at the head of him whose hand pointed the pistol to his own heart. And thus, like two duellists, they stood fatally eyeing each other!

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

A FATAL CRISIS.

Each at the life Levelled his deadly aim; their fatal hands No second stroke intended.--MILTON.

"Hold! on your lives!" exclaimed Lyon Berners, rushing between the opponents, and with swift hands striking up the pistol of Robert Munson, and turning aside the musket of Farmer Nye. "Would you shed each other's blood so recklessly? Here is some mistake. Farmer, whom did you take us for?"

"Who did I take you for, is it? For that cornsarned band of robbers as have been mislesting the country for miles round this month past."

"Robbers?"

"Yes, robbers! as has been tarryfying the whole country side ever since Hollow Eve!"

"I never heard of them."

"May be you didn't, but I took you for them all the same."

"And aimed your musket at that lady! And might have shot her dead, had not this brave man thrown himself before her, with a loaded pistol in his hand, levelled at your heart."

"How did I know it was a lady? How could I see in this dim light? I took her for one of you, and I took you all for robbers," said the farmer, sulkily.

"Well, you see who we are now?"

"Yes; I see as you are my new lodgers. Though why you should be out here at the stables after your beasts at this hour of the night, and wake me up with a row; or should take my darter's side-saddle, and kill my watch-dog, blame you, I _don't_ see!" growled the farmer.

"Come, walk aside with me for a few minutes, and I will show you why,"

said Mr. Berners, soothingly laying his hand on the farmer's shoulder.

"Hands off, if you please! No! I don't think as I _will_ walk aside with you. You might do me a mischief."

"Bosh! you are armed, and I am unarmed. How can I harm you? Come, and I will tell you something to your advantage," coaxed Mr. Berners.

Partly urged by curiosity and partly by interest, Farmer Nye reluctantly consented to follow where Mr. Berners led him. When they had pa.s.sed out of hearing of the negroes Mr. Berners stopped, and turned to his host, and said:

"You know who we are?"

"I know you are my new lodgers--that's all I know about you."

"Yet you must have observed something out of the common about our party?"

"Yes; I took notice as you and your wife must have been dreadful 'fraid of being robbed and murdered on your journey, when you kept two men to travel with you, and guard you all day long, and sleep outside of your doors like watch-dogs all night long. Which me and my darter made it out between us as you must have lots of money with you to make you so cautious. And which, if we had known you was going to be so mistrustful of _us_, we'd have seen you farther before we'd have took you in."

"And so that is the way in which _you_ accounted for matters and things that you couldn't understand?"

"To be sure it was; and very natural too."

"Shall I tell him the whole truth?" inquired Lyon Berners of himself. "I will sound him first," he concluded. Then speaking up, he said: