ere. It is near the head of their bed, and they will be sure to
hear me."

And so saying, old Purley went to the adjoining chamber, where he had
slept, dragged his mattress away from the door, and drew the key from
his pocket, when, to his astonishment and terror, he found the door
unlocked!

Without waiting an instant, from any scruples of politeness, he rushed
into the room.

To his horror and amazement, he found it empty!

"They've gone! they've fled!" frantically exclaimed Purley, rushing back
into the passage, where he found the other bailiff still on guard before
the fast door, and the farmer waiting with the glass of bitters in his
hand.

"Fled!" echoed Munson. "How can that be? This door as fast as it is?"

"Blast 'em! they've had the impudence to escape right through my door!
and right over my body!" panted Purley.

"Then you can't blame _me_!" naively put in Munson.

"Who says I can?" angrily demanded Purley. "I can't blame anybody! And
how the demon they managed to pick the lock and open the door, and climb
over me, _I_ don't know! Nor have we time to inquire!"

"Take your bitters, Mr. Purley," said the host, offering the glass.

The bailiff quaffed the offered restorative at a draught, and then said:

"Farmer, saddle a couple of horses for us, directly! We must pursue them
without loss of time! They can not have got very far ahead of us in
these few hours!" he added, being totally unconscious of the length of
time he had slept, and the whole day he had lost.

"My--my horses will be busy all day hauling wood," replied the farmer.

"Don't care! I order you in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to
saddle those horses, and place them at our disposal to pursue our
prisoner," said Purley, in a peremptory tone.

The farmer was quite uncertain whether or not that was an order he was
bound to obey; and besides, he was very unwilling that his horses should
be taken off their work at all, and especially for the purpose of
pursuing Sybil Berners. But still he felt that it would be safer for
her, if not for himself, if he should yield to the demand of the
sheriff's officer; he could put him on the wrong track, by counselling
him to ride towards the east, while he knew that Sybil was far on her
route to the west.

So without further demur, he went out to execute the order.

"And, farmer, when you have seen to that matter, I want you to gather
all your men and maids into the breakfast room, that I