dvice or
not."

Marcy said very emphatically that he was.

"Cause, if you don't, you are liable to be started on the road to jail
before this time tomorrer," added Hawkins.

"I'll do just as you have told me, and there's my hand on it," replied
Marcy. "You will be sure to arrange matters so that Mr. Webster will
meet me on the river?"

The soldier assured him that he could be depended on to do as he had
agreed, and after another lingering hand-shake they separated, Hawkins
to carry out his part of the programme, and Marcy to take a budget of
most unwelcome news to his mother. But she bore up under it better than
he did. She declared that her heart would be much lighter if she knew
her son was in full possession of his liberty, even though he was
compelled to hide in the swamp for the time being, than it would be if
she were called upon to remember, every hour in the day, that he was
shut up in jail, with a fair prospect before him of being forced into
the Confederate army, and she urged him to carry out Hawkins's
instructions to the very letter. And in order to show him that she meant
he should do that very thing, she began at once to pack his valise. When
she left the room for a few minutes, Marcy, having become satisfied that
Hawkins's plan was the best, and in fact the only one that could be
followed under the circumstances, seated himself at the desk, pulled out
a sheet of foolscap paper, and began writing a short note upon it. While
thus engaged his face wore a most determined expression, and when the
note was finished he put it into his pocket. But he said nothing to his
mother about it.

The hours were a long time in dragging themselves away, but Marcy and
his mother had many small details to arrange and many things to talk
about, and only once was he out of her presence. That was when he made a
trip to the creek, in company with Julius, to select the boat that was
to take him down the river. He raised the black boy very high in his own
estimation by making a confidant of him and promising to take him along
as his servant, and in order to provide against the upsetting of his
plan by some awkward blunder on the part of Julius, he told him just
what he was going to do when darkness came to conceal his movements, and
how he intended to do it. It was well for him that he went to so much
trouble, as we shall presently see.

When the afternoon was about half spent Hanson and his trunk made their
appearance in o