ed Pete. "I've got five loads o'
black stuff sitting on me."

"Have you your whip with you, Saunders?" cried the settler.

"No, sir; I wish I had. But it is hanging by the door, and we can give
them a better taste by daylight."

"You use it on him," roared Pete fiercely, "and I'll kill you."

"Silence, you scoundrel!" cried the settler, "or I'll have you gagged as
well as ironed. I warned you both of what would happen if you tried to
escape."

"Lucky for them I let loose the black dogs instead of the brown," cried
the overseer. "We should not have had the trouble of taking them back.
Tie their hands behind their backs, Samson, and have the irons ready as
soon as we get to the house."

"Got no rope, sah."

"What!" cried the settler. "Why didn't you bring some, you black fool?"

"No time, sah," said the black humbly. "Soon as dat ugly ruffyum,
Humpy, come knock at door and say dey 'scape, Zerk call me quite sharp,
an' I come tell you, and dey fetch de boy and have 'em back. Me no
t'ink 'bout no rope, sah; on'y t'ink dey go swim for de boat and catch
'em first."

"Quite right," said the settler more calmly. "There, one of you go in
front of each man, and two others take fast hold of a wrist on each
side. Cock your pistols, Saunders."

There was a sharp clicking sound.

"Walk behind that big scoundrel, and if he makes the slightest attempt
to escape send a bullet through him. I'll look after this one. Pity we
didn't stop to loose the dogs. Ready?"

"Iss, sah," came from Samson, as Nic felt a strong hand like a live
handcuff upon each wrist.

"Lead on, then."

"You be very careful, please, massa; no make mistake and shoot dis boy."

"Oh yes, I'll take care."

The march back began, and at the second step Nic felt that a cold ring
of iron had been pressed between his shoulders--the pistol-muzzle
resting upon his skin where the shirt had been torn down from neck to
waist.

He could not suppress a shiver, for the heat and passion of the struggle
had passed away, leaving him weary, aching, and depressed.

But in a few minutes the pistol-muzzle was withdrawn, it being awkward
for the holder to walk over the rough ground and keep it there; and the
prisoner marched on between his black warders as patiently as Pete in
front, thinking perhaps the same ideas.

For he felt that they had not taken warning by the hints they had
received. Humpy Dee had been on the watch, and, in his malignity, let
the