wanted now was a chance at the overseer. He knew that Mrs. Gray and
Marcy did not want him on the place, and consequently Julius did not
think he would be punished for butting him "good fashion."

"Did Beardsley or Hanson say anything about me?" was Marcy's next
question.

"All I heard de cap'n say was dat de oberseer an' Shelby want to watch
out dat you don't see 'em when you come out'n de house," replied Julius.
"Dey don't want you to know dey was dar."

Julius gave way strong on the oars and Marcy steered the boat, listened
for sounds of pursuit, and thought over the situation. He made up his
mind to one thing before he had left the house fairly out of sight, and
that was that Captain Beardsley and Colonel Shelby would be sorry that
they had had anything to do with the Home Guards. His patience was all
gone now, and every move they made should be met by a counter-movement
on his own part. He thought he knew the name of every man in the
company, and he would take pains to see that the Federal commander at
Plymouth knew them also and where they lived; and while he was waiting
for the Yankees to do something he would do something himself, beginning
that very night.

Having at last satisfied himself that the Home Guards were not pursuing
him, Marcy dismissed them from his mind for the present, his actions
indicating that he was looking for some object he expected to find in
the creek in advance of him. He was searching for Beardsley's schooner,
and was so long in finding it that he began to fear her owner had stolen
a march upon him by towing her from the creek to a safer hiding-place.
But the captain evidently thought she could not be in any safer berth
than the one she had always occupied in the creek in front of his house,
for there was where Marcy found her, as he was on the point of giving up
the search and telling Julius to pull for Middle River the best he knew
how, for there was a man waiting for them there.

"It seems a pity to destroy a fine vessel like this," said Marcy, as
Julius caught the fore chains and allowed the current to swing the boat
broadside to the _Hattie_.

"Well, den, what for dat rebel burn all dem fine ships out on de watah
like Marse Jack tell about?" demanded Julius. "An' what for de cap'n
brung all dem Home Gyards to de house to cotch you an' tote you off to
jail?"

With all Beardsley's persecutions so fresh in his mind, Marcy Gray did
not stand upon the order of going to work but