ve the boy
for yer, anywhere ye'll name; won't ye, Tom?"

"If I find the young un, I'll bring him on to Cincinnati, and leave him
at Granny Belcher's, on the landing," said Loker.

Marks had got from his pocket a greasy pocket-book, and taking a long
paper from thence, he sat down, and fixing his keen black eyes on it,
began mumbling over its contents: "Barnes--Shelby County--boy Jim, three
hundred dollars for him, dead or alive.

"Edwards--Dick and Lucy--man and wife, six hundred dollars; wench Polly
and two children--six hundred for her or her head.

"I'm jest a runnin' over our business, to see if we can take up this yer
handily. Loker," he said, after a pause, "we must set Adams and Springer
on the track of these yer; they've been booked some time."

"They'll charge too much," said Tom.

"I'll manage that ar; they 's young in the business, and must spect to
work cheap," said Marks, as he continued to read. "Ther's three on 'em
easy cases, 'cause all you've got to do is to shoot 'em, or swear they
is shot; they couldn't, of course, charge much for that. Them other
cases," he said, folding the paper, "will bear puttin' off a spell. So
now let's come to the particulars. Now, Mr. Haley, you saw this yer gal
when she landed?"

"To be sure,--plain as I see you."

"And a man helpin' on her up the bank?" said Loker.

"To be sure, I did."

"Most likely," said Marks, "she's took in somewhere; but where, 's a
question. Tom, what do you say?"

"We must cross the river tonight, no mistake," said Tom.

"But there's no boat about," said Marks. "The ice is running awfully,
Tom; an't it dangerous?"

"Don'no nothing 'bout that,--only it's got to be done," said Tom,
decidedly.

"Dear me," said Marks, fidgeting, "it'll be--I say," he said, walking to
the window, "it's dark as a wolf's mouth, and, Tom--"

"The long and short is, you're scared, Marks; but I can't help
that,--you've got to go. Suppose you want to lie by a day or two, till
the gal 's been carried on the underground line up to Sandusky or so,
before you start."

"O, no; I an't a grain afraid," said Marks, "only--"

"Only what?" said Tom.

"Well, about the boat. Yer see there an't any boat."

"I heard the woman say there was one coming along this evening, and that
a man was going to cross over in it. Neck or nothing, we must go with
him," said Tom.

"I s'pose you've got good dogs," said Haley.

"First rate," said Marks. "But what's the use? you ha