ls into his pocket and moved to the door.

Alone again, the planter collapsed into his chair, breathing heavily,
but his terrors swept over him and left him with a savage sense of
triumph. This passed, he sprang up, intending to recall Hicks and unmake
his bargain. What had he been thinking of--safety lay only in flight!
Before he reached the door his greed was in the ascendant. He dropped
down on the edge of his bed, his eyes fixed on the window. The sun sank
lower. From where he sat he saw it through the upper half of the sash,
blood-red and livid in a mist of fleecy clouds.

It was in the tops of the old oaks now, which sent their shadows into
his room. Again maddened by his terrors he started up and backed toward
the door; but again his greed, the one dominating influence in his life,
vanquished him.

He watched the sun sink. He watched the red splendor fade over the
river; he saw the first stars appear. He told himself that Hicks would
soon be gone--if the fire was not to be lighted he must act at once!
He stole to the window. It was dusk now, yet he could distinguish the
distant wooded boundaries of the great fields framed by the darkening
sky. Then in the silence he heard the thud of hoofs.

CHAPTER XXXI. THE KEEL BOAT

"PRICE," began Mahaffy. They were back in Raleigh in the room the judge
called his office, and this was Mahaffy's first opportunity to ease his
mind on the subject of the duel, as they had only just parted from Yancy
and Cavendish, who had stopped at one of the stores to make certain
purchases for the raft.

"Not a word, Solomon--it had to come. I am going to kill him. I shall
feel better then."

"What if he kills you?" demanded Mahaffy harshly. The judge shrugged his
shoulders.

"That is as it may be."

"Have you forgotten your grandson?" Mahaffy's voice was still harsh and
rasping.

"I regard my meeting with Fentress as nothing less than a sacred duty to
him."

"We know no more than we did this morning," said Mahaffy. "You are
mixing up all sorts of side issues with what should be your real
purpose."

"Not at all, Solomon--not at all! I look upon my grandson's speedy
recovery as an assured fact. Fentress dare not hold him. He knows he is
run to earth at last."

"Price--"

"No, Solomon--no, my friend, we will not speak of it again. You will
go back to Belle Plain with Yancy and Cavendish; you must represent me
there. We have as good as found Hannibal, but we must be ac