year ago, when dat
oak little, sich Injin might be good; now, he good for nuttin'."

"But you will keep our secret, Sus?--will not even tell the negro who we
are?"

The Trackless simply nodded his head in assent. After this he seemed to
me to sink back in a sort of brooding lethargy, as if indisposed to
pursue the subject. I left him to go to my uncle, in order to relate
what had just passed. Mr. Roger Littlepage was as much astonished as I
had been myself, at hearing that one so aged should have detected us
through disguises that had deceived our nearest of kin. But the quiet
penetration and close observation of the man had long been remarkable.
As his good faith was of proof, however, neither felt any serious
apprehension of being betrayed, as soon as he had a moment for
reflection.

CHAPTER IX.

"He saw a cottage with a double coach-house,
A cottage of gentility;
And the devil did grin, for his darling sin
Is the pride that apes humility."

_Devil's Thoughts._

It was now necessary to determine what course we ought next to pursue.
It might appear presuming in men of our pursuits to go to the Nest
before the appointed time; and did we proceed on to the village, we
should have the distance between the two places to walk over twice,
carrying our instruments and jewel-box. After a short consultation, it
was decided to visit the nearest dwellings, and to remain as near my own
house as was practicable, making an arrangement to sleep somewhere in
its immediate vicinity. Could we trust any one with our secret, our fare
would probably be all the better; but my uncle thought it most prudent
to maintain a strict incognito until he had ascertained the true state
of things in the town.

We took leave of the Indian and the negro, therefore, promising to visit
them again in the course of that or the succeeding day, and followed the
path that led to the farm-house. It was our opinion that we might, at
least, expect to meet with friends in the occupants of the home farm.
The same family had been retained in possession there for three
generations, and being hired to manage the husbandry and to take care of
the dairy, there was not the same reason for the disaffection, that was
said so generally to exist among the tenantry, prevailing among them.
The name of this family was Miller, and it consisted of the two heads
and some six or seven children, most of the latter being still quite
young.

"Tom