briskly.

"Are you quite comfortable, darling?"

"Very! Captain Pendleton, dear Captain Pendleton, arranged my seat so
nicely. It is so soft and easy. I could go to sleep here, if I were
sleepy."

"You may have to sleep there, dear. We must travel all night, in order
to get a good distance from this neighborhood before morning."

"I can bear that very well, as comfortably as I am placed. But you,
dear Lyon, you who are driving, you will be tired to death."

"Not at all. My work to-night will not be more than many men frequently
undertake for mere amusement."

"And the horses?"

"Strong draught horses like these can work eight or ten hours at a
stretch, if they are well fed and rested between times."

"Oh! I'm so glad I have got away from the Haunted Chapel and the
ghosts!" suddenly exclaimed Sybil.

"And especially from the 'damp girl,'" laughed Lyon Berners.

"Oh, don't mention her!" shuddered Sybil.

They were now entering one of those frequent mountain passes that
diversified their road, and the care of driving required all Lyon's
attention.

They travelled all night as nearly in a direct line towards the far
distant city as the nature of the ground would permit. At daylight they
found themselves in the midst of a deep forest, some twenty miles east
of Blackville. Here, as the road was naturally broad and the trees tall
and sparse, and especially as a clear stream of water ran along on one
side, the travellers decided to stop and rest, and refresh themselves
and their horses until noon.

Lyon Berners got out and, followed by Sybil, went a little way into the
woods, where they found a small opening and a spring of clear water.

Here Lyon gathered brushwood and made a fire, while Sybil returned to
the wagon and brought back a basket of provisions. Among them was a
bottle of coffee already made, and which she turned into a small tin
coffee-pot, and set on the fire to be warmed.

And while Lyon went back to the wagon to attend to the wants of his
horses, Sybil spread a very good breakfast of coffee, bread, and ham,
upon the ground near the fire.

When they had given their horses time enough to rest they resumed their
journey, still travelling towards the east.

Lyon consulted his map and his pocket compass, and found that directly
in their line lay the small village of Oakville, nestled in an
unfrequented pass of the mountains.

"We can reach the place at about ten o'clock this evening, and there w