tongue to declare that Marcy was the guilty
one, but he lacked the courage. He was afraid of the mysterious men who
had begun to carry things with so high a hand in the settlement, for he
did not know how soon they might turn their attention to him or to his
father's property.

"Marcy is quite mean enough to do a thing of that kind, hoping to bring
you home so that you would not take him to sea any more," said Tom, who
could not resist the longing he had to say something that would lead
Beardsley to declare war upon the boy who had served as his pilot. "He
may have written the letter, but he could not have piled that light
stuff against your house, for he was not at home when the thing
happened. Has it struck you that the work must have been done by some
one who belongs on your plantation? Your dogs would have raised a
terrible racket if a stranger----"

"No, it wasn't," said Beardsley earnestly. "The dogs made furse enough
that night to wake up everybody in Nashville; but they didn't none of
'em do nothing, and that shows that they were afraid of the crowd that
was there. My folks was that scared that they dassent none of 'em look
out of the winder; but the next morning the letter that was put on the
gallery and the stuff to burn the house was both there."

"It's very strange that I never heard of it before," said Tom, who could
not help telling himself that the recital made him feel very
uncomfortable. "It's just awful that things like these can go on in the
settlement and nobody be punished for them."

"Well, it ain't so strange that you didn't hear of it, when you bear in
mind that my folks didn't say much about it for fear that they might
speak to the wrong person," said Beardsley. "I reckon it was done by the
same fellers who took Hanson away to the swamp. Ain't nary idee who they
were, have you?"

"Nary an idea. I wish I had, so that I could expose them. Why, just
think of it, captain! If things like these are allowed to go on, who is
safe? How do we know but you or I may be marched off in the same way
some dark night?"

"I don't know it, and that's just what's a-troubling of me," said
Beardsley, groaning again and rubbing his gloved hands nervously
together. "Such doings is too shameful to be bore any longer. There's a
heap of traitors right here amongst us, and I don't see how we are going
to get shet of 'em."

"That's the thought that was running in my mind when I met you," said
Tom savagely. "I know