consult with the
colonel and learn the reason of his absence. Pierre Lajeunesse was found
where Mr. Terry had left him, and gladly accepted an arm up the hill.
Arrived at the stone-yard, the Squire and Coristine learnt with concern
of the dominie's wound, but were rejoiced to find it was nothing more
serious, and that his was the only casualty, besides the doctor's.
Squire Walker and Mr. Bangs accompanied the colonel, whom Coristine
relieved in attendance upon the dominie, and Maguffin, to look for the
felled accomplices of Rawdon, but, of the four who certainly were
knocked insensible by the clubs, not one was to be found, nor was there
any sign that the pistols of the cavalry had taken effect on the other
three. The whole seven had escaped. Meanwhile Rawdon's house and all the
other buildings had been searched by Carruthers, without a single
incriminating thing, save a half empty keg of peculiar white spirits,
being brought to light. The stables contained many horses; and strong
waggons, such as those seen by the pedestrians at the Beaver River, were
in the sheds. The stone-cutters and the women professed to know nothing,
and, save in the case of the woman called Flower, Bangs was of opinion
that they spoke the truth. All the men could tell was that Rawdon paid
them good wages, so that they were able to live without work all winter;
that six other men worked for him elsewhere and came to the
boarding-house for their meals, but did not sleep there; that one of
them had got hurt in the back, and was away in the hospital, and that
two teamsters had left shortly before the intruders arrived, along with
the remaining five. They had also seen Rawdon ride in that morning, but
did not know where he had gone. Did they know of any underground vaults
or trap doors, or any buildings apart from those in the encampment? No,
they had seen none; but, three years ago, before they returned to work
in the spring, there must have been quarrymen about, for enormous
quantities of stone were lying ready for them, which they had not taken
out. Mrs. Flower declined to answer any questions, but did not scruple
to ask if the Squire and others had seen anything of a man called
Harding. When she learned the man's fate, as she sat in a low chair,
she rocked it to and fro and groaned, but shed no tear nor uttered an
articulate syllable.

Bangs would not give up the search, nor would he leave the place. There
was food enough in the boarding-house,