"The son has been long upon the road. What caused him to linger?"
"A broken arm, so the old man has it; and repairs have been made in a hospital at Portland by the eastern sea."
The Governor dug his elbow into Archie's ribs. Archie caught a gleam. Putney Congdon had been in a hospital recovering from the bullet wound received at Bailey Harbor, but was now arriving at his father's Ohio farm, where his child, the lamb referred to, was concealed. Putney was to be kept in ignorance of the lure of the tampered coins that had brought Perky into alliance with his father, and Perky was to interest himself in wood-chopping during the son's visit. In the privacy of the bridge with only an uninterested river for auditor, there seemed to be no reason why these matters should not be discussed openly; but the Governor evidently enjoyed these veiled communications, though it was clear that Perky found difficulty in fashioning the responses.
"Is there work in the fields for willing hands? Shall we find welcome as laborers keen for the harvest?" asked the Governor.
"The slave driver weeps for lack of help and the pay is high. You will be welcome. When the sun makes its shortest shadow tomorrow you will sign papers for the voyage."
This penetrated to Archie's consciousness as assurance that he and the Governor would find employment on Eliphalet's farm, where Edith Congdon was being concealed from her mother, and that the most fortunate time to apply for employment was at noon the next day.
"The lamb must be carried to more northern pastures. We must guard against snares and pitfalls."
"The old ram is keen but only one eye may be used at a knot-hole. He suspects nothing. We have spoken enough?"
"Longer speech would be a weariness; you may leave us."
Perky waited for a motor to clatter over the bridge and with a careless "So long!" walked away whistling.