ed?

Even so, there was no withdrawing now--no going back from my purpose.
The race in which I had embarked must be run to the end--even at the
sacrifice both of heart and life. I thought only of the purpose that
had brought us there.

As my mind became calmer, I again reflected on the means of carrying it
out. As soon as day should break, I would go in search of the horses--
track them, if possible, to where they had strayed--recover them, and
then remain concealed in the woods until the return of another night.

Should we not recover the horses, what then?

For a long time, I could not think of what was best to be done in such a
contingency.

At length an idea suggested itself--a plan so feasible that I could not
help communicating it to D'Hauteville, who like myself was awake. The
plan was simple enough, and I only wondered I had not thought of it
sooner. It was that he (D'Hauteville) should proceed to Bringiers,
procure other horses or a carriage there, and at an early hour of the
following night meet us on the Levee Road.

What could be better than this? There would be no difficulty in his
obtaining the horses at Bringiers--the carriage more likely.
D'Hauteville was not known--at least no one would suspect his having any
relations with me. I was satisfied that the disappearance of the
quadroon would be at once attributed to me. Gayarre himself would know
that; and therefore I alone would be suspected and sought after.
D'Hauteville agreed with me that this would be the very plan to proceed
upon, in case our horses could not be found; and having settled the
details, we awaited with less apprehension for the approach of day.

Day broke at length. The grey light slowly struggled through the
shadowy tree-tops, until it became clear enough to enable us to renew
the search.

Aurore remained upon the ground; while D'Hauteville and I, taking
different directions set out after the horses.

D'Hauteville went farther into the woods, while I took the opposite
route.

I soon arrived at the zigzag fence bounding the fields of Gayarre; for
we were still upon the very borders of his plantation. On reaching
this, I turned along its edge, and kept on for the point where the
bye-road entered the woods. It was by this we had come in on the
previous night, and I thought it probable the horses might have taken it
into their heads to stray back the same way.

I was right in my conjecture. As soon as I entered the