“Have you any suggestions to make?” asked Rodney.
“Let’s engage all the teams we can rake and scrape and haul it somewhere else,” said Ned at a venture.
“What good will that do? It’s in as fine a hiding-place now as there is in the country, and where are the wagons to come from? And the harness? It is all I can do to find gears for eight plough-mules.”
Ned rode away to turn his horse into the stable-yard, spent a long time in taking a drink at the well, and finally came back and sat down on the porch.
“What do you think of that scoundrel Lambert, anyway?” he inquired.
“That my plan for getting on his blind side did not work as well as we thought it was going to. He has got even with Tom Randolph for drawing a sword on him, and now he intends to get square with my father for threatening him with a nigger’s punishment.”
“I was with the mob that night,” said the young overseer angrily, “heard every word that was said, and know that your father never threatened Lambert with anything. He defended him and Tom as well, and sent me to warn them that they had better clear out while the way was open to them. And the last time I saw Lambert he pretended to be grateful to Mr. Gray for what he said and did that night. Oh, the villain!”
But it did no good to rail at Lambert for his perfidy, nor yet to discuss the situation, for the one was safely out of their reach, and talking and planning only served to show them how very gloomy and perplexing the other was. It was simply exasperating to know that they were utterly helpless, but that was the conclusion at which they finally arrived. Time might make all things right, or it might reduce Mr. Gray to poverty; and all they could do was to wait and see what it had in store for them.
Ned Griffin had been in Rodney’s company about two hours when one of the hounds suddenly gave tongue, and the whole pack went racing down to the bars. There was no one in sight, but after listening a moment the boys heard the tramping of a multitude of hoofs up the road in the direction in which the Federal soldiers had disappeared with Mr. Randall’s field-hand for a guide. As the boys arose to their feet the leading fours of the column came into view.
“Sure’s you live that’s them,” whispered Ned. “But what brought them back so soon?”