haracter? My father is dead.
Everybody twists me around his fingers."

"Then think of some plain, strong, faithful man you may know and refer
every act of your character to him. Ask yourself what he would do in
your predicament, then go and do the same."

"I do know such a man," Levin said, in another moment; "It is Jimmy
Phoebus, my poor, beautiful mother's beau."

"_El rayo ha caido!_" Van Dorn spoke, low and calm; "yes, Levin, any man
worthy of your mother will do."

"Captain, turn back with me! Is it too late?"

"Too late these many years, young _senor_. I shall lead the war on
Africa to-night again at Cowgill House."

He rose and finished the wine.

"Clark shall give you a horse, Levin. I present it to you. Ride on with
Sorden at the lead, and a mile from here, at Camden town, take your own
way. Good-night!"

Taking a single look at the miserable band of whites and blacks
collected in the barn, and revealed by a lantern's light in the
excitement of drink and avarice, or the familiarity of fear and
vice--some inspecting gags of corn-cob and bucks of hickory, others
trimming clubs of blackjack with the roots attached; others loading
their horse-pistols and greasing the dagger-slides thereon; some
whetting their hog-killing knives upon harness, others cutting rope and
cord into the lengths to bind men's feet--Levin was set on the loping
horse he had been already riding, by Clark, the host, and soon met
Sorden on the road.

"Where is Van Dorn?" Sorden asked; "I love him as I never loved A male."

"He sends me to Camden of an errand," Levin answered; "is it far?"

"About a mile. Three miles, then, to Dover. My skin! how fresh your
critter is; ain't it Dirck Molleston's? I thought so. Then he'll be
wantin' to turn in at Cooper's Corners."

"Does Derrick live there?"

"Yes. That's whar he holds the Forks of both roads from below, and
watches the law in Dover. I hope Van Dorn will git away with the loot
and not git ketched, fur I love him as I never loved A male."

Levin's horse, at his easy gait, soon left Sorden far behind, and the
strange events of the night, and his wonder what to do next, kept
Levin's brain whirling till he saw the form of a few houses rise among
the trees, and a line of arborage indicate a main road from north to
south. The scent as of cold, wide waters and marshes filled the night.

"Here is Camden," Levin thought; "where shall I go? If I turn south I
shall get no bed nor food all