le.

"It is much to be regretted," said the Surveyor-General, "that the
presence of the young lady was so soon discovered. Otherwise--"

"Otherwise we might have had further information on more than one
subject," said the Governor dryly.

"We must make the best of what we have," continued Carrington calmly.
"After all, it is enough."

The Governor rose and began to pace the floor, his head thoughtfully
bent, his unwounded hand tugging at the curls of his periwig. "It is not
enough," he said at length, pausing before the great table around which
the company were seated. "Thanks to the gallant daughter of the gallant
Verneys,"--a bow and smile to Patricia, sitting enthroned in the great
chair in their midst,--"we know much, but it is not enough. These rogues
have set a day upon which to rise; they have appointed a place to which
they are to resort. That day may be to-morrow, that place any point in
any one of a dozen counties."

"I apprehend that the cockatrice was to be hatched near by," said Sir
Charles.

"It is the likeliest thing," answered the Governor, "seeing that their
ringleader belongs to this plantation. But we do not know. And there
may not be time to reach the planters, to give them warning, to arrest
these d--d traitors, scattered as they are from the James to
Rappahannock, and from Henricus to the Chesapeake. It might be best to
assemble the trainbands at this cursed spot if it can be found, and to
await their coming in force. But to know neither time nor place--to
start a hue and cry and have the storm burst before it reaches ten
plantations--to guard one point and see fire rise at another a dozen
leagues away--impossible! Gentlemen, we must come at the heart of this
matter!"

"It is most advisable," said Colonel Verney gravely. "Examine the
prisoners again," suggested Sir Charles.

"One of them is no wiser than we. You are certain as to this, Mistress
Patricia?"

"Yes, your Excellency."

"Humph! one does not know; three are dead; there remain, then, that
shaven and branded runaway and the two convicts."

"You will learn naught from the runaway, your Excellency!" called out
the overseer from where he stood at a respectful distance from the
company. "He's one of them crazy fanatics that wild horses couldn't draw
truth from. No Indian torture stake could make him speak if he didn't
want to,--nor keep him from it if he did."

"I know that kind," said the Governor, with a short laugh, "and we w