wo or three
days, that is all."

"If I have a message to deliver, I will keep it to myself, instead of
intrusting it to you," Walter said, grimly; but his mind was sorely
troubled, for he realized that if he should be delayed here no more
than four hours the information he was to give might arrive too late.

CHAPTER II

THE ESCAPE

During the hour which followed Walter's capture the two men remained
close at hand, while their horses were allowed to stroll along the
path, eating grass, and at the expiration of that time the animals
could no longer either be seen or heard.

"Go and bring them back, Jim!" Haines said, in a peremptory tone. "It
would be a hard job for us if they should stray too far."

The half-breed hesitated an instant, as if undecided whether to obey
this command, and then, rising slowly to his feet, he slouched down the
path lazily.

After the brief conversation which had followed the capture of Walter,
neither of the men had spoken until this moment; but as soon as his
comrade disappeared among the bushes, Haines said, in what he intended
should sound like a friendly tone,--

"I am sorry to see a promising young man like you, Neal, led astray by
these fanatics, who dream of opposing his majesty's just and wise laws.
You have too much solid sense to train in any such company."

"You seem to have a remarkably good opinion of me," Walter said, grimly.

"So I have, lad, so I have. I know you have been hoping to build a mill
of your own on the Pascataqua, and am interested in the project, for it
is a sensible one: there is plenty of money to be made in that section."

"According to appearances now I shan't reap any very large harvest this
year."

"It depends upon yourself. If you had kept proper company there would
have been no attachment made to-day.

"How did you know anything about that?" Walter asked, sharply.

"I heard the matter discussed, and feel certain you would have been
given more time but for your own very unwise move last night."

"Then you know-"

Walter stopped suddenly on realizing that he was about to betray a
secret, but Haines finished the remark.

"That you enrolled yourself among that rabble who call themselves the
Sons of Liberty? Yes; I know it, and so do others."

"It seems I am of more importance than I fancied. I never supposed
anything I did could make any difference to the good people of
Portsmouth; but I was mistaken."

"It concerns right-minded