r old friend the pedler. Pursuing the same
route, the two latter, after the repast, separated, with many
acknowledgments on both sides, from the emigrating party, and pursued
their way together.

On their road, Bunce gave the youth a long and particular account of all
those circumstances at the village-inn by which he had been deprived of
his chattels, and congratulated himself not a little on the adroit
thought which had determined him to retain the good steed of the Lawyer
Pippin in lieu of his losses. He spoke of it as quite a clever and
creditable performance, and one as fully deserving the golden honors of
the medal as many of those doings which are so rewarded.

On this point his companion said little; and though he could not
altogether comprehend the propriety of the pedler's morals, he certainly
did not see but that the necessity and pressing danger of his situation
somewhat sanctioned the deceit. He suggested this idea to Bunce, but
when he came to talk of the propriety of returning the animal the moment
he was fairly in safety, the speculator failed entirely to perceive the
moral of his philosophy.

The sheriff's officers came upon the wagoner a few hours after the two
had separated from him. The intelligence received from him quickened
their pace, and toward noon they descried our travellers ascending a
hill a few hundred yards in advance of them. A repeated application of
the spur brought them together, and, as had been anticipated by Rivers,
Ralph offered not the slightest objection, when once satisfied of the
legality of his arrest, to becoming their prisoner. But the
consternation of Bunce was inexpressible. He endeavored to shelter
himself in the adjoining woods, and was quietly edging his steed into
the covert for that purpose, on the first alarm, but was not permitted
by the sharp eyes and ready unscrupulosity of the robber representatives
of the law. They had no warrant, it is true, for the arrest of any other
person than "the said Ralph Colleton"--but the unlucky color of Pippin's
horse, and their perfect knowledge of the animal, readily identifying
him, did the business for the pedler.

Under the custody of the laws, therefore, we behold the youth retracing
his ground, horror-stricken at the death of Forrester--indignant at
the suspicions entertained of himself as the murderer, but sanguine
of the result, and firm and fearless as ever. Not so Bunce: there
were cruel visions in his sight of seven