y queer, but Ah nebber see
her take nuthin'. Ah nebber see nuthin' 'tall till dey took me outer
de shack an' galivanted me up yere. Whar I heerd yer voice afore?"

"I haven't time to explain that; we are going now."

I started forward on foot, leading my horse, the others trailing after
through the darkness. Knowing nothing of the way, I was thus better
able to pick the path, yet I found this not difficult, as it was rather
plainly outlined by the forest growth on either side. It led downward
at a gentle slope, although the grade was sufficiently steep so as to
force Eloise's body forward and compel me to support her as best I
could with one arm. She still appeared to be staring directly ahead,
with unseeing eyes, although her hands clung as tightly as ever to the
saddle pommel. I clinched my teeth, half crazed at the sight of her
condition, yet feeling utterly helpless to do more. I spoke to her
again, but received no answer, not the slightest evidence that she even
heard my voice or recognized her name.

The trail was clay with a few small stones embedded in it, and the
horses made little noise in their descent, except once when Elsie's
animal slipped and sent a loosened bit of rock rolling down to splash
in some pool below. We came to the bank of the creek at last, a narrow
stream, easily fordable, but with a rather steep shore line beyond, and
waited there a moment until Tim emerged from out the black woods at our
right and joined us. He was mounted, and, believing the time had
arrived for more rapid movement, I also swung up into saddle and ranged
the girl's horse beside mine.

"It looks to be open country beyond there," I said, pointing across,
"what little I can see of it. You better ride the other side of Miss
Beaucaire, Tim, and help me hold her up--the colored girl can trail
behind. We'll jog the horses a bit."

They were not stock to be proud of, yet they did fairly well, Tim's
mount evidently the best of the four. The going was decidedly better
once we had topped the bank. The stars were bright enough overhead to
render the well-marked trail easily visible, and this led directly
southward, across a rolling plain. We may have ridden for two miles
without a word, for, although I had no intention of proceeding far in
this direction, I could discover no opportunity for changing our
course, so as to baffle pursuit. That Kirby and Rale would endeavor to
follow us at the earliest opportunity was