hought he hed this fellew safe by
the law of fear; bet fear and envy and the dread of losing Rawdon's
bribes, combined in his treacherous heart to make a merderer of him."

"But Nash couldn't have written that letter last week. He knew nothing
of his sister's whereabouts till yesterday morning."

"Exectly; see here is the nowte, a sheet out of this very book fowlded
ep. End it says: 'Meet me at wence, not later than noon, outside the
barred chennel. You say he followed Rawdon from the powst office; then,
at sem point behind Rawdon, this Herding must hev terned ep, end, O dem
the brute if he is dead! hev cheated the cleverest fellow in the
service."

"But why should he have killed him? Why not leave that to Rawdon?"

"Rawdon's kenning and deep. When he knew it wes Nesh, he got a fright
himself end then frightened Herding into doing it. I'll bet you whet you
like, thet revolver found with his body is the kelibre of the bellet
wound in pore Nash's head. I'll look when I go ep this efternoon. His
trick was to lay it all on Herding; I shouldn't wender if he towld thet
med woman to kill him. It's jest like him, dem the brute!"

In order that due preparations, in the shape of accoutrements, might be
made, and after dinner delay avoided, the Squire and the colonel
assembled the forces. Including the absent Richards family, the
upholders and vindicators of the law numbered twenty-six. The Captain
had already signified to Richards senior his willingness to take command
of the scow and its complement of five men, armed with guns, and with
axes for cutting away the barrier at the narrows. There was much romance
about this side of the campaign, so that volunteers could have been got
for marine service to any extent; but the means of transportation were
limited, and even that able-bodied seaman Sylvanus had to be enrolled
among the landsmen. Happily Tom Rigby was not there to see him descend
once more to the level of military life. The colonel, rejoicing in
Newcome's chart of the marked road, called for cavalry volunteers.
Squire Walker, Mr. Bangs and Maguffin, having their horses with them,
naturally responded. It then came to a toss-up between Mr. Perrowne and
Coristine; the parson won, and the disappointed lawyer was relegated to
the flat feet. As the doctor had been major in a volunteer regiment, the
Squire ceded the command of the infantry to him. It was proposed to have
at least one man behind as a home guard, but nobody wa