r.

"Dis all," he whispered, in his short, jerky way, "an' you best be
gettin' out'n dar. Good-by, missus. Julius gwine run now like ole
Mose."

"You haven't seen or heard anything suspicious, have you?"

"Oh, hursh, honey," was the reply. "If Julius hear sumfin, don't you
reckon he got sense 'nough to tell? You best be gettin' out'n dar 'fore
dey come. Good-by, missus."

"Go ahead with those things, and I will be at the boat by the time you
are," said Marcy.

Julius disappeared, but it was not so easy for his master to follow him
as it was to talk about it. He found it hard to tear himself away, and
lingered long over the parting so long, in fact, that Julius grew tired
of waiting for him. He placed the valise and blankets in the bow of the
boat, made sure for the twentieth time that the little craft was ready
for the start, and then sauntered back to the house to see why Marcy did
not come. But he did not find the coast clear this time. Just as he was
passing through the gate he heard a slight rustling in the bushes that
lined the carriageway on both sides. Without waiting a second to see
what made the noise, the quick-witted darky took to his heels; but,
before he had made half a dozen steps, a man stepped into the
carriage-way in front of him and seized him by the arm. Julius looked
up, and saw that he was in the grasp of Captain Beardsley.

"None of that, you little varmint," said the captain. "You stay here
with me."

As he spoke he tightened his grasp and began dragging his prisoner
toward the concealment from which he had just emerged; whereupon the
black boy set up a yell that could have been heard half a mile away. And
what was more, he kept on yelling until Beardsley clapped his big hand
over his mouth, and put a stop to the performance.

CHAPTER XVII.

MARCY TAKES TO THE SWAMP.

The little darky was not very badly frightened on his own account--he
never got that way unless he saw or heard something he could not
understand--but he was overwhelmed with anxiety for Marcy Gray, who had
not yet left the presence of his mother. Julius believed that the
dwelling had been surrounded by the Home Guards while he was stowing the
valise and blankets in the boat, and if that proved to be the case,
Marcy would in all probability start for Williamston jail instead of the
swamp. The black boy thought of these things in an instant of time, and
did what he could to upset the plans of the Home Guards by yell