her to give to
any of the men who can give you the news. When you have found out come
and tell me. Here is my card and address."

"Bery well, sah. Next time me go up to station me find about it, for
sure, if anyone remember dat fellow."

In the evening the negro called at the house and told Vincent that he
had ascertained that a man answering to his description, and having
luggage similar to that of Pearson, had had it checked to Florence in
South Carolina.

Vincent now called Dan into his counsel and told him what he had
discovered. The young negro had already given proof of such intelligence
that he felt sure his opinion would be of value.

"Dat all bery plain, sah," Dan said when Vincent finished his story. "Me
no doubt dat old rascal Jackson give money to Pearson to carry off de
gal. Ob course he did it just to take revenge upon Tony. Pearson he go
into de plot, because, in de fust place, it vex Missy Wingfield and you
bery much; in de second place, because Jackson gib him money; in de
third place, he get hold of negro slave worf a thousand dollar. Dat all
quite clear. He not do it himself, but arrange wid oder fellows, and he
stop quiet at de hotel for two days after she gone so dat no one can
'spect his having hand in de affair."

"That is just how I make it out, Dan; and now he has gone off to join
them."

Dan thought for some time.

"Perhaps dey join him thar, sah, perhaps not; perhaps him send him
baggage on there and get out somewhere on de road and meet dem."

"That is likely enough, Dan. No doubt Dinah was taken away in a cart or
buggy. As she left two days before he did, they may have gone from forty
to sixty miles along the road, or to some place where he may have joined
them. The men who carried her off may either have come back or gone on
with him. If they wanted to go South they would go on; if they did not,
he would probably have only hired them to carry her off and hand her
over to him when he overtook them. I will look at the time-table and see
where the train stops. It is a fast train I see," after consulting it.
"It stops at Petersburg, fifteen miles on, and at Hicks Ford, which is
about fifty miles. I should think the second place was most likely, as
the cart could easily have gone there in two days. Now, Dan, you had
better start to-morrow morning, and spend two days there, if necessary;
find out, if you can, if on the 20th of last month anyone noticed a
vehicle of any kind, with two ro