“I swear it by my magic art!”
“Bah! blast your art! Swear it by the gold you will receive, and I’ll believe you. But come!”
Green reëntered the mill followed by old Madge. He seized the helpless Hayward and bore him to an upper loft. There he fettered him with the chains.
“And now I shall leave you here until we can attend to you at a more convenient time!” he muttered, as he gazed exultingly upon Hayward. He was about to leave him alone.
“Stay but a moment!” cried the wounded man. “Tell me of my sister!”
“She has become the wife of Colonel Brown, of the Confederate army, or, as you know him, Captain Walker, of the Federals!”
“Liar!” cried Hayward. “But no! I will not use such terms now. Do you know who struck the blow which so nearly deprived me of life?”
“Yes; it was William Nettleton! He is also enlisted in the service of Walker. And I will tell you more. In two days after you disappeared, Lieutenant Wells was hung for your murder. Your sister fled with Walker, who pretended the greatest friendship for her. I performed the ceremony, and to-night they are not three miles from you.”
Hayward had become insensible, and sunk to the floor. Green saw this, and motioning to the old woman, they left him alone.
“That is the game I want you to play!” said Green, as they emerged from the mill. “Of course, all I have told him is false. But I want you to carry it out, because Colonel Price wishes it as well as Walker, and as he is a most dangerous man to our cause, I don’t care how poorly he gets along. It would be a good thing for us if he could never take the field again. So see that you do your duty!”