"Come along, then; but be careful."
They walked up the lane together, and then struck into the pines. The policeman followed them, and, himself unseen, keeping them in sight, traced them into the cabin of Phædra.
Then having, as it were, pointed his game, he ran back as fast as possible, sprang over the hedge, ran down the lane, crossed the highway, sprang over a second hedge dividing the road from Major Hewitt's plantation, hastened up to that gentleman's house, gave the alarm, procured the assistance of the overseer and the gardener, both Irishmen, and with this reinforcement hastened back to the scene of action.
They found Phædra's cabin quiet enough. To the knock of the policeman the old woman's voice responded, "Come in."
They entered, and found no one within except Phædra and the old negro preacher, Portiphar—no sign of Valentine. As the cabin contained but one room, with but one door and window, and no loft or outbuildings, the premises were easily searched. The little room was also very scantily furnished; a rag carpet concealed the rough floor, a rude bed stood in one corner, a cupboard in another, an oak chest in a third, a pine table in the fourth; a couple of chairs, a few stools, etc., completed the appointments. The cupboard was opened, the big chest ransacked, the bed and bedstead pulled to pieces, the chimney inspected, but no trace of the fugitive could be found.
Phædra was questioned; but she sadly shook her head and remained dumb.
The old negro preacher was examined, but he replied evasively, that he had just come, and knew nothing about it, while at the same time he kept his eyes strangely fixed upon the corner of the room occupied by Phædra's bed.
Yet, the policeman had pulled that bed to pieces and found nothing, and now did not know what to make of Portiphar's pertinacious gaze. At last a bright idea struck him. He took the poker and began sounding the floor. He went on sounding foot by foot until he approached the bed. Turning then, he saw Phædra's face haggard with the most frightful expression of terror and anxiety. Dragging the bedstead away by main force he began to sound the corner. The floor returned a hollow echo; he was satisfied.
It was but the work of a moment to turn up the carpet, to lift up a loose plank and to discover the mouth of the excavation below.
He knelt upon his knees and peered down into the cavern; the mouth only opened in the corner of Phædra's cabin; the cavern itself extended under and beneath the house. He peered down into the darkness for a few moments, and then called, in a not unkindly voice: