ill pay for cutting down."

"Very likely not; but the land may not be bad; and it is a capital
situation. I only wish it were mine," answered Harry, who had his own
reasons for wishing to be a little more independent in circumstances.

"Tell you what," said George, making a knot on the end of his whip-lash,
"my belief is, that it is quite as much for pleasure as profit that the
Doctor is so busy about his land."

"Pleasure?"

"Yes. Do not you see any pleasure in it? By Jove, I asked him something
about Clarkson the other day; and if you'd seen his face, you'd believe
he enjoyed the fight."

"Well, that's not unlikely. He's a great brute, that Clarkson. I should
not mind pitching into him myself."

"I should, though," said George laughing; "the chances of his pitching
into me in return would be too strong."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "He has a queer character certainly; but
of the two, I think I should be more afraid of disturbing the Indians,
especially if I had to ride about the country at all hours. It would not
be very difficult to waylay the Doctor; and I dare say some of them are
savage enough to do it, if they had a serious grudge against him."

"I don't believe they have pluck enough to do anything of the kind. Look
what miserable fellows those are that Dawson has at the mill now. They
look as if all the spirit had been starved out of them."

So they went on talking until they caught glimpses of the mill before
them, whenever their way lay over the open ground; and then George
Anderson touched the horse with his whip, and they began to get over the
remaining distance more quickly. They were trotting briskly round the
side of a low thicket of brambles, when suddenly a horse, which was
grazing on the further side, raised its head and looked at them. There
was nothing remarkable in that, certainly, for horses were not
unfrequently turned out there; but what was remarkable, was that this
one had a bridle on. George involuntarily tightened his reins; and the
next moment the animal, which seemed to have been disturbed by their
coming, trotted slowly across the road in front of them. It was bridled
and saddled, and the saddle was a little on one side, as if it had been
dragged round. Harry sprang from the waggon. He followed the horse, and
in a minute or two caught and led it back to where George, who had also
dismounted, was now tying his to a tree.

They both recognized the runaway. Harry said one word