“How do you know that?”
“’Cause I’ve seen ’em—since the sun went down, too.”
“Where?”
“Off yender,” replied Tom, pointing in the direction of the village, “I see’d a white a gal on a horse and I just follered and watched her.”
The partial gloom in which the two men sat, nor the luxuriant whiskers, could not conceal the flush that overspread Hammond’s face at the utterance of these words.
“Where did you see her?” he asked, making a great effort to hide his deep interest.
“Why she rid up out the kenyon, and I follered arter her.”
“Did you speak to her?”
“No, she didn’t seem to notice me, so I didn’t offer to shake hands.”
“Strange!” exclaimed Hammond, as if musing with himself, and then he was about sinking into a reverie, when Black Tom aroused him.