d Zibe Turner, "I 'spects I'm ahead in dis race. De
time befo' Velox passed me; but now I'm ridin' him, an' I'd like to see
de debil hisself overtake me."

"We'uns air safe," said Wiles, "but we'uns must hold back our hosses
sum, for we uns hev a good jaunt to take, an' it won't do to tire 'em
out at fust."

Both acted at once on this sensible advice, and they brought the ready
animals down to a moderate trot. It was now a little past midnight, and
not a soul was to be seen on the road. A light breeze blew softly from
the south, shaking the tiny forest leaves and blowing across the fields
to welcome the coming footsteps of another day.

Though these bad men boasted to each other that they had the winning
hand, there was some uneasiness in their hearts. They knew that this
was the highest stake they had ever played; they were striking at the
chief man of the county, and had stolen the best horses on his
plantation. Should the heavy hand of justice smite them, it would be a
stunning blow. The voice of conscience was not utterly dead, and it
aroused fears in their hearts that they were not willing to acknowledge
even to themselves; but, like many other desperate men, their very
alarm occasioned a fiercer determination to show a bold front.

About two o'clock that morning honest David Hester, who lived about
fifteen miles distant from Judge LeMonde, was awakened from his deep
sleep by a pounding in his barn, which stood not far from his house.
Honest David knew at once what was the matter,--his horse Jim was
kicking in his stall. This valuable beast had a habit at irregular
intervals of kicking and pawing in the barn. Once or twice his restless
feeling had made him use his legs so vigorously that he was thrown in
his stall; and if his owner had not come to his help, he might have
been fatally hurt. This night Jim's knocking was specially violent.
Farmer Hester at last arose and went to the barn to quiet the restless
creature. Speaking kindly to him, he turned him into a box stall and
returned to the house.

Just as he was entering the rear door he heard the sound of horses'
hoofs some distance up the river road. His curiosity aroused, he
decided to see who the early travelers were. He walked to the front
yard and stood under a large lilac bush which was already covered
thickly with leaves.

The horsemen came on quickly. The moonlight was not sufficiently clear
for David to see distinctly; but he noticed that the ride