rward, pistol in hand.

"All gone, sah," cried Samson, beginning to tremble.

"Bah! you 'most fass 'sleep," cried Xerxes, who had come in at the call
of his companion; "dey all tuck under de corn-'talk."

"You black idiot!" roared the overseer, turning upon the sentry so
savagely that the man's knees began to knock together; he let go his
hold of his musket, and it fell on the floor with a thud, followed by a
flash and an explosion, while the man escaped a knockdown blow by
ducking.

"Here, quick!" cried the settler, who had seized one of the lanthorns
from Samson and convinced himself that the other prisoners had taken
advantage of the hole made by Pete, and, as soon as the chase began,
climbed quietly out in turn. "All of you follow. Pick up that musket
and load it again, you black fool!"

"No 'top clap irons on dese two, sah?" cried Samson.

"No. Here, Saunders, fetch another musket. Samson, you and Nero guard
these two while we're gone; and if you let them escape I'll shoot you."

"No, no," said Saunders quickly; "I'll manage them. We want all our
men. Here, Sam; go and let loose the dogs."

"But these two?" cried the settler impatiently.

"Well, the dogs will watch them."

"We want them, man, to track the other scoundrels."

"We can do that ourselves. They followed us, for a hundred pounds, and
have taken the boat by now."

The settler uttered a furious oath and stamped his foot.

"Sharper than we are," he roared. "Yes, that is right."

Just then the dogs, newly set at liberty, came bounding up, followed by
Samson; and the overseer went up to the two prisoners.

"There, lie down in your kennels," he snarled. "We shall not be long,
and it depends upon yourselves whether we find you when we come back. I
warn you that if you move the hounds will tear you to pieces."

"Saunders!" whispered the settler.

"Their lives will be in their own hands, sir," cried the overseer
warmly. "Let me have my own way, please; it is the only thing to do."

The settler shrugged his shoulders, and the blacks all stood there
round-eyed and staring, while the two unfortunates lay down in their
bunks, and the overseer called up the dogs and bade them couch.

"Watch," he said fiercely, and a deep-toned growl arose. "Stay there
and watch."

"Now, sir," he said coldly, "the sooner we are off the better. Out with
you, boys, and bring the lights."

The blacks ran out, the settler followed, and the overseer wen