"Be calm, Mary. Let us trust he is safe."
"But how came Jack here without him?"
The appearance of the horse was then told in a few words, while numerous conjectures were offered in regard to the rider.
"You say he went away with both his horses," said Mr. Rimmon. "The fact that this one has come back without any saddle shows that he must have been riding Fairy at the time Jack got away from him, or was perhaps sent ahead by his master to tell us that he is safe. I look upon it as a good sign.
"Cheer up, Mrs. Lewis; I guarantee that no harm shall come to you. Mr. Brady, I advise you to withdraw your men. Dix Lewis will not be hard to find when he comes."
"If he comes!" said the sheriff. "You may not be aware, Mr. Rimmon, that Warfield has concluded not to stand the boy's bail, and thus we must have him."
"I know nothing of this," replied the postmaster, sharply. "Why didn't you or Mr. Warfield come to me in regard to the matter?"
"Of course I did not suppose you would care to stand in for the runaway, if Mr. Warfield did not. In that case it was my duty to capture the scamp as soon as possible."
"Give yourself no farther concern in that direction, Mr. Brady. I will answer for the boy. Is that sufficient?"
Mr. Rimmon was not the right man for Sheriff Brady to antagonize. Besides being a person of good financial standing, he was known to be a man of sterling integrity, and, to use a cant expression, "What Jack Rimmon says, goes." So the officer said: