The woman held out her hand directly, and Nic caught it. The next moment he had clasped the girl’s hands, which were extended to him; but she snatched them away directly with a sob, and ran into the house, while the mother bade the pair sit down on a rough bench to rest.
The girl was not long absent; but when she returned with a big loaf and a piece of bacon her eyes looked very red.
“There,” she said, setting the provisions before them; “you’d better take this and go, in case father should come back and see you. Don’t, please, tell us which way you’re going, and we won’t look; for we shouldn’t like to know and be obliged to tell. Oh!”
The girl finished her speech with a cry of horror; for how he had approached no one could have said, but the planter suddenly came up with a gun over his shoulder, and stood looking on as, with a quick movement, Pete snatched at the loaf and thrust it under one arm.
“Hullo!” said the man quietly as he looked from one to the other; “where are the dogs?”
“I shut ’em up, father, so as they shouldn’t hurt these two poor men.”
“An’ s’pose these two poor men wanted to hurt you; what then?”
“But they didn’t, father,” said the girl, as the mother stood shivering. “They were hungry, and only wanted something to eat.”
“Yes, that’s right, master,” said Pete stoutly. “We shouldn’t hurt no one.”
“Let’s see,” said the planter; “I’ve seen you both before. My neighbour brought you up months ago.”