irds the
negroes had snared and roasted, and root plants they had grubbed
up; and as we ate we talked.

"Bold," said Cludde huskily, "you've returned good for evil. You
don't want my thanks; you hate me."

"I wonder if I do," I said, and pondering the matter, I came to the
conclusion that I rather despised than hated him; but I did not
tell him so. "How did you come to this strait?" I asked him.

"I came up to see Lucy, and happened to arrive just after that
nigger had been caught. Vetch was flogging him, told me he was an
insolent and lazy scoundrel, and I agreed he ought to be taught a
lesson--"

"Even if it killed him," I interrupted.

"Why, he's only a black fellow," said Cludde.

"And black fellows are flesh and blood, like you and me."

"But they haven't our feelings; come now, you won't say that?"

I would not argue with: him, and he went on--"I came to the house,
and Lucy refused to see me. I hated you then, Bold; Vetch told me
that you had been up, and I guessed you had put a spoke in my
wheel."

"I never saw Mistress Lucy," I said.

"What? Why, Vetch told me that you had proposed to her, and been
sent away with a flea in your ear."

"That was a lie. But go on: I will tell you about myself
presently."

"Well, I plucked up courage to go to the house again, and this time
I was admitted and saw Lucy, and by heaven, Bold, I had no inkling
of what had been going on."

"You might have guessed, knowing Vetch, whom your own father had
sent out here," I said.

"But not for this," he said eagerly. "I beg you to believe me,
Bold. I know there is much against me, but after that business at
the turnpike I told Vetch I would countenance no more tricks of
that sort--though I own I helped to arrange your kidnapping at
Bristowe."

"'Twas an insult to Mistress Lucy to send Vetch out here," I said,
refusing to compromise on this matter. "But go on, let me hear how
you came to this."

"Lucy told me what tricks Vetch had been playing, and begged me to
help her to get away from him, and burst into tears, and I can't
stand a woman's tears. I sought Vetch, and I told him that he had
gone too far, and bade him remember that, whether she married me or
not, she is my cousin, and I wouldn't have her worried.

"'You've got my father's power of attorney,' I said to him, 'but
that don't authorize you to do what you are doing.'

"And then the scoundrel rounded on me, and asked me with his
infernal sneer what I thoug