g my ghost, and I'll bid you good-night."

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

_Mr. Sanders Receives a Message_

The demeanour of Mr. Sanders about this time was a seven days' wonder in
Shady Dale. As Mrs. Absalom declared, he had tucked his good-humour
under the bed, and was now going about in a state of gloom. This at
least was the general impression; but Mr. Sanders was not gloomy. He was
filled to the brim with impatience, and was to be seen constantly
walking the streets, or occupying his favourite seat on the court-house
steps, the seat that had always attracted him when he was communing with
John Barleycorn. But he and John Barleycorn were strangers now; they
were not on speaking terms. He avoided the companionship of those who
were in the habit of seeking him out to enjoy his drolleries; and
various rumours flew about as to the cause of his apparent troubles. He
was on the point of joining the church, having had enough of the world's
sinfulness; he had lost the money he made by selling cotton directly
after the war; he had been jilted by some buxom country girl. In short,
when a man is as prominent in a community as Mr. Sanders was in Shady
Dale, he must pay such penalty as gossip levies when his conduct becomes
puzzling or problematical.

The tittle-tattle of the town ran in a different direction when some one
discovered that the Racking Roan was tied every day to the rack behind
the court-house. Then the gossips were certain that the Yankees were
after Mr. Sanders, and his horse was placed close at hand in order to
give him an opportunity to escape. Mr. Sanders apparently confirmed this
rumour when he told Cephas to take the horse to Clopton's, should he
find the animal standing at the rack after sundown.

As Mr. Sanders walked about, or sat on the court-house steps, he
wondered if he had made all the arrangements necessary to the scheme he
had in view. Hundreds and hundreds of times he went over the ground in
his mind, and reviewed every step he had taken, trying to discover if
anything had been omitted, or if there were any flaw in the plan he
proposed to follow. He had made all his arrangements beforehand. He had
made a visit to Malvern, and remained there several days. He had met the
Mayor of the city, the Chief of Police, and the latter had casually
introduced him to the Chief of the Fire Department.

Mr. Sanders accounted himself very fortunate in making the acquaintance
of the Fire Chief, who was what mig