went at once. Before
Julius ceased speaking he was over the schooner's rail, with a bag of
"fat" wood in one hand and an axe in the other. The hatches were
fastened down of course, and the door that gave entrance to the cabin
was locked; but the latter yielded to a single heavy blow with the axe,
and Marcy went in and emptied his bag of kindling wood upon the floor.
Then he piled upon it everything he found in the cabin that he could
move, including the slats in the bunks, the tables and chairs, and the
doors that he could tear from their hinges. Over all he poured a couple
of quarts of oil from bottles that he had brought with him for the
purpose, and set fire to it in three or four different places. He waited
until he saw the work of destruction fairly begun, and then ran on deck
and dropped into the boat.

"Now set me ashore at the foot of that poplar to which the breast-line
is made fast," said he. "I want Beardsley to know who did this work, and
why it was done. But of course he knows without any telling."

"Hi yi, Marse Mahcy, she gwine go right up in de elemunts!" cried
Julius, as a cloud of smoke, which was brightly illumined by the fire
that was blazing beneath, came pouring out of the cabin-door.

"I think I made a sure thing of it," answered Marcy. "Of course she will
burn readily, for everything in the cabin is covered with paint or
varnish. We can't get away from here any too quick. Hurry up."

It did not take Julius more than two minutes to row around the stern of
the schooner to the tree to which the breast-line was fastened, nor did
it take Marcy longer than that to spring ashore and place upon a
neighboring tree, in a conspicuous position where it would be sure to
catch the eye of the first man who passed that way, the note which he
had written that afternoon while his mother was packing his valise. It
was addressed to Captain Beardsley, and ran as follows:

This is to pay you for the share you had in bringing Hanson
back to our plantation, and in organizing the Home Guards to
take me to Williamston Jail. This is the first payment on a
big debt I owe you and Colonel Shelby. If you do not wish
any more like it take Hanson away from our place at once and
keep him away; and furthermore, keep everybody else away
from there. You are on a false scent, and so long as you
follow it, so long will you continue to lose property. There
is no large sum of money in or