Bob was bound, in the first place, for Linwood, a little landing about the size of Rochdale, situated twenty-five miles further up the river. He had never been there—in fact, he had never been so far away from home in his life—and all he knew about the place was, that the road which ran along the river bank was the shortest route that led to it, and that steamboats stopped there whenever a signal was displayed upon the bank to indicate that there were passengers or freight for them. Bob intended to remain at Linwood until he could board some steamer bound up the river. Where he would go after that, and what he would do, he didn’t know. He had not yet taken time to think of it.
Bob kept his horse in a steady gallop for an hour or more, and then, believing that he had placed a safe distance between himself and his home, he allowed the animal to slacken his pace to a walk. His progress was very slow after that. Besides, as soon as the moon went down it became pitch dark, and Bob, on one or two occasions, got bewildered by turning into a log-road, and never discovered his mistake until he found himself in the thick woods. He went a long distance out of his way, and was delayed more than three hours. It was nine o’clock when he came within sight of Linwood.
It was about this time that Bob met the first person he had seen during his journey. It was a horseman, and Bob passed him a mile below the landing. The man looked sharply at Bob’s nag, which walked with his head down as if he were wearied with his night’s journey, then stared hard at the boy, and drew in his reins as if he were about to stop and speak to him. Bob, however, did not want any conversation with him, so he put his horse into a gallop, and went on his way; but the keen glances which the stranger had bestowed upon himself and his steed excited his curiosity, and, when he had gone a few rods, he turned in his saddle and looked back. To his surprise he saw that the man had stopped his horse in the middle of the road, and was also looking back. He did not turn away his head and move on, as people generally do when they are caught in the act of observing another’s movements, but kept his eyes fastened upon the boy, as if he had resolved to see where he was going and what he intended to do. Bob became uneasy at once.
“Who is that?” thought he, and, as he asked himself the question, he hurriedly recalled the names of all the planters with whom he was acquainted who bore any resemblance to the man he had just passed. “I am sure I don’t know who he is, but he must know who I am. If he does not, why did he look at me so sharply, and pull up his horse as if he was going to say something to me? He’s there yet,” added Bob, once more turning about in his saddle, and looking behind him.
Yes, the man was there yet, and, more than that, he stayed there as long as Bob was in sight of him. The runaway, who grew more and more uneasy every minute, faced about, now and then, to look at him, and when he turned down the road that led to the little cluster of houses on the river bank, the man turned his own horse, and rode slowly after him.
When Bob came around the bend in the road, he saw all there was of the little settlement of Linwood. He noticed that, in some respects, it was like Rochdale. It could boast of but one street, and that led from somewhere back in the country, straight through the town (if such it could be called) to a long shed on the bank, which Bob was glad to see was filled with bags of shelled corn. He was glad to see it, for he knew that the corn was awaiting shipment, and that the first boat that went up the river would be signaled to stop and take it aboard.
The settlement consisted of the store, in which the post-office was located, a shoemaker’s and blacksmith’s shop, and one or two private residences, all of which were built on one side of the street. The store was the most imposing building, and, like the one in Rochdale, was the headquarters of all the idlers in the country for miles around. The proprietor had good-naturedly provided for their comfort and accommodation, by placing a row of empty dry-goods boxes in front of his door for them to sit on, and, when Bob came in sight, every box was occupied.
Hearing the sound of his horse’s feet, one of the idlers looked up, said something in a low tone to his companions, and, an instant afterward, a dozen pairs of eyes were fastened upon Bob, as if they meant to look him through.