ng, and a minute later the
chariot drove along. The moon was not up, but the night was clear and
bright; and, advancing as close he could to the passing chariot, he
was able to recognize Plexo. The latter gave an angry exclamation as
his horses shied at the figure which had suddenly presented itself,
and gave a cut with his whip at Jethro. A minute later the chariot had
disappeared and Jethro returned toward the city, picking up on his way
Amuba and Chebron.

The next night Amuba took up his station a mile beyond the spot at
which Jethro had seen the chariot, Jethro another mile ahead, while
Chebron watched the crossroads near the town; but this time it did not
come along, although Chebron had seen him start the same hour as
before.

"I hardly expected to see him to-night," Jethro said when he joined
the others after fruitlessly waiting for three hours. "He will hardly
be likely to visit her two days in succession. He will be more likely
to leave her for a week to meditate on the hopelessness of refusing to
purchase her liberty at the price of accepting him as her husband.
Doubtless he has to-day merely paid a visit to some friends."

It was not, indeed, until the fourth night of waiting that Plexo came
along. This time he did not pass Jethro at all, and it was therefore
certain that he had turned off from the main road either to the right
or left at some point between the post of Jethro and that of Amuba.
When this was determined they agreed, after a consultation, not to
return to their hiding-places near Thebes that night, but to lie down
under some trees by the roadside until morning broke, and then to
examine the road carefully. It was not likely that another chariot
would pass before morning, and they might be able to follow the tracks
along the dusty road.

In this way they discovered the road where he had turned off; but
beyond this the tracks did not show, as the road was hard and almost
free from dust. It lay, as they expected, toward the hills; but there
were so many country mansions of the wealthy classes dotted about, and
so many crossroads leading to these and to the farmhouses of the
cultivators, that they felt they were still far from attaining the
object of their search.

After some discussion it was agreed that they should ascend the hills
and remain there during the day, and that Jethro should return to the
town as soon as it became dark to obtain a store of provisions
sufficient to last them fo