“Well, move on! We can’t stay here long, for some of your gang may likely be on our track.”
The next moment a cry of surprise broke from the lips of Mainwaring and one of real joy from those of Ben.
Two young girls, very pale and fatigued, but, even so, very beautiful, stood near some horses guarded by three or four armed men.
“’Clar’ ter goodness, dere’s de cherubims!” shouted faithful Ben, breaking away from all restraint and rushing up to the girls, whose hands he seized and kissed, while he actually wept with joy to see them alive. “Oh, Missie May an’ Missie Gertrude! Jest to think I’m with you once more! Ben’s ready to go now when Gabriel blows his horn—he is dat! Oh, honeys, is it you—all sure alive?”
“The darky knows you?” asked the leader of the band.
“Yes,” said May. “He is my father’s servant.”
“Yes—I is his serbant, an’ yours, too, Missie May. Your old fadder is alive, an’ he jest would give a hunderd t’ousand dollars—an’ he’s got it, too—to see you an’ Missie Gertrude alive!”
“A hundred thousand dollars! Do you know what you are saying, darky?” cried the leader of the bandits, while the rest of the gang talked eagerly among themselves.
“Yes, Marse White Man, I jest do know what I’m sayin’! And de old boss has done got it, all in hard coin.”