to one which had fortunately escaped the eyes of the
marauders. He lifted Seymour's head gently, and with a napkin which he
had picked up from the floor, wiped the bloody face, washing it with
the water the groom quickly brought from the well outside.

Then he poured a little of the wine down the wounded man's throat, next
slit the sleeve of his coat, and saw that the scarcely healed wound in
the arm had broken out again. He bandaged it up with no small skill
with some of the other neglected table linen, and the effect upon
Seymour of the stimulant and of these ministrations was at once
apparent. With a stronger voice he said slowly,--

"Dunmore's men--Captain Johnson--colonel a prisoner--Katharine
also--God grant--no harm intended."

"Hush, hush! I understand. But where are the slaves?"

"Terrified, I suppose--in hiding."

"Dick, see if you can find any of them. Hurry up! We must take Mr.
Seymour back to Fairview tonight, and report this outrage to the
military commander at Alexandria. Oh that I had a boat and a few men!"
he murmured. Katharine was gone. He would not tell his story
to-night; she was in the hands of a gang of ruffians. He knew the
reputation of Johnson, and the motives which might actuate him. There
had been a struggle, it was evident; perhaps she had been wounded,
killed. Agony! He knew now how he loved her, and it was too late.

Presently the groom returned, followed by a mob of frightened,
terror-stricken negroes who had fled at the first advent of the party.
Talbot issued his orders rapidly. "Some of you get the carriage ready;
we must take Lieutenant Seymour to Fairview Hall. Some of you go down
to the landing and bring up the bodies of the three men there. You go
with that party, Dick. Phoebus, you get this room cleared up. Hurry,
stir yourselves! You are all right now; the raiders have gone and are
not likely to return."

"Why, where is Master Philip, I wonder? Was he also taken?" he said
suddenly. "Have any of you seen him?" he asked of the servants.

"He done gone away fishin' wid Mars' Bentley," replied the old butler,
pausing; "and dey ain't got back yit, tank de Lawd; but I spec 'em ev'y
minute, suh."

CHAPTER IX

_Bentley's Prayer_

As he spoke, a fresh youthful voice was heard in the hall. "Father,
Kate, where are you? Come see our string of-- Why, what's all this?"
said a young man, standing astonished in the door of the room. It was
Philip Wi