nd though he had
proved the truth of her warning words, she should never know it, if he
could keep it from her.

Troops had arrived in the neighborhood the day after the raid on Ion; so
to Boyd's other causes of distress was added the constant fear of
detection and apprehension. This was one reason why the visits of his
confreres were few and short.

The Klan was said to have disbanded and outrages had ceased, but an
investigation was going on and search being made for the guilty parties;
also United States revenue officers were known to be in quest of illicit
distilleries; to which class this one of Rood's belonged.

"What's the news?" asked Boyd one morning while Savage was engaged in
dressing his hurts.

"Very bad; you'll have to get out of this at once if you don't want to
be nabbed. A jail might be more comfortable in some respects, eh, old
boy? but I s'pose you prefer liberty.

"'Better to sit in Freedom's hall,
With a cold damp floor, and a mouldering wall,
Than to bend the neck or to bow the knee
In the proudest palace of Slavery.'

"Fine sentiment, eh, Boyd?"

The doctor was just drunk enough to spout poetry without knowing or
caring whether it was exactly apropos or not.

"Very fine, though not quite to the point, it strikes me," answered
Boyd, wincing under the not too gentle touch of the inebriate's shaking
hand. "But how am I to get out of this? blind and nearly helpless as I
am?"

"Well, sir, we've planned it all out for you--never forsake a brother
in distress, you know. There's a warrant out for Bill Dobbs and he has
to skedaddle too. He starts for Texas to-night, and will take charge of
you."

Savage went on to give the details of the plan, then left with a promise
to return at night-fall. He did so, bringing Dobbs and Smith with him.
Boyd's wounds were attended to again, Dobbs looking on to learn the
_modus operandi_; then the invalid, aided by Smith on one side and Dobbs
on the other, was conducted to an opening in the woods where a horse and
wagon stood in readiness, placed in it, Dobbs taking a seat by his side
and supporting him with his arm, and driven a few miles along an
unfrequented road to a little country station, where they took the night
train going south.

The conductor asked no questions; merely exchanged glances with Dobbs,
and seeing him apparently in search of a pin in the inside of his coat,
opened his own and handed him one, then passed on through the car.

Boyd was