ugh-looking men in it, and with,
perhaps, a negro woman. She might not have been noticed, for she may
have been lying tied up in the bottom of the cart, although it is more
likely they frightened her by threats into sitting up quiet with them.
They are sure not to have stopped at any decent hotel, but will have
gone to some small place, probably just outside the town.

"I will go with you to Mr. Renfrew the first thing in the morning and
get him to draw up a paper testifying that you are engaged in lawful
business, and are making inquiries with a view to discovering a crime
which has been committed, and recommending you to the assistance of the
police in any town you may go to. Then, if you go with that to the head
constable at Hicks Ford, he will tell you which are the places at which
such fellows as these would have been likely to put up for the night,
and perhaps send a policeman with you to make inquiries. If you get any
news, telegraph to me at once. I will start by the six o'clock train on
the following morning. Do you be on the platform to meet me, and we can
then either go straight on to Florence, or, should there be any
occasion, I will get out there; but I don't think that is likely.
Pearson himself will to a certainty, sooner or later, go to Florence to
get his luggage, and the only real advantage we shall get, if your
inquiries are successful, will be to find out for certain whether he is
concerned in the affair. We shall then only have to follow his traces
from Florence."

Two days later Mr. Renfrew received a telegram from the head constable
at Hicks Ford:

"The two men with cart spent day here, 20th ult. Were joined that
morning by another man--negro says Pearson. One man returned
afternoon, Richmond. Pearson and the other drove off in buggy. A
young negress and child were with them. Is there anything I can
do?"

Mr. Renfrew telegraphed back to request that the men, who were kidnaping
the female slave, should if possible be traced, and the direction they
took ascertained. He then sent the message across to Vincent, who at
once went to his office.

"Now," the lawyer said, "you must do nothing rashly in this business,
Vincent. They are at the best of times a pretty rough lot at the edge of
these Carolina swamps, and at present things are likely to be worse than
usual. If you were to go alone on such an errand you would almost
certainly be shot. In the first place these fellows