at he had shot close to the mark was made evident to Marcy before ten
minutes more had passed over his head. A short distance farther on was
the gate which gave entrance to the carriage-way that ran by the ruins
of Beardsley's home. It was wide open, and as he rode up he saw a
horseman passing through it. Marcy had a fair view of him, and
recognized him at once as the man Hanson, his mother's old overseer; and
he was riding one of Beardsley's horses.

CHAPTER XVI.

A FRIEND IN GRAY.

Marcy Gray had seldom thought of his mother's overseer since he learned
that he had been spirited away by armed and masked men, and, when he
did, it was to indulge in the hope that he would never see or hear of
him again. He did not believe that Hanson would dare disregard the
warning of the Union men, who had "turned him loose, with orders never
to show his face in the settlement again;" but here he was, riding along
the public road in broad daylight, without making the least effort at
concealment, and, to make the situation more alarming, he was riding one
of Captain Beardsley's horses. Acting upon the first thought that came
into his mind, Marcy urged his filly forward, intending to speak to the
man, and Hanson, nothing loath, turned his horse about to wait for him.

"I'm on hands agin, like a bad piece of money," he said, with a laugh.

"So I see," answered Marcy. "And I must say that I little expected to
meet you."

Hanson's response, and the way in which he acted, disheartened Marcy
Gray, for they gave him a clew to the course this enemy of his mother's
had marked out for himself. The first thing he did was to ride up and
offer Marcy his hand, and the boy took it, because he did not think it
would be policy to refuse. He wanted to find out what the man's plans
were, and he could not do that by making him angry the first thing he
did. Then Hanson went on to say:

"But I'm back agin, all the same, and safe and sound, too. I hope you
didn't think I would let them few Yankees scare me away from my home
altogether? I belong on your plantation, and there's right where I am
going before I am many hours older."

This was an astounding and terrifying statement, and it was a minute or
two before Marcy could collect his wits sufficiently to reply to it.

"We never expected you to come back, and so I took your place," said he
at length. "I am my mother's overseer now."

"You!" exclaimed Hanson, with a laugh. "What do you know abo