owing the secret meeting of the McAnays in the
school-house.

"Yer allers knowin' somethin', and it ain't nothin' when a feller finds
it out."

"But it's somethin'; no little niggers in a peanut-shell this here
time."

Hunch lowered his voice to a whisper, as he led Benner to the rear of
the store. There he continued:

"Levi, Cassi, and Matthi's gone ter find Gill."

Benner gave a start, and would have uttered an exclamation, had not
Hunch prevented him by laying a hand over his mouth and saying:

"Hush."

"They'll mebbe kill him," he continued.

"What fer?"

"Fer not marryin' Lizzi right."

"Lizzi don't know," Benner asserted.

"Yes, she does," Hunch replied.

"Yer a liar," and Blind Benner struck at Hunch.

He dodged, and said:

"Can't yer keep quiet? Lizzi don't want nobody ter know it."

"Yer a bigger liar than ever, an' yer ain't no friend uv mine."

Benner spoke louder than before, and sprang at Hunch, but missed him,
and would have fallen against the counter had not Hunch caught him.

"Hello, there, boys! What are you fighting about?" Colonel Hornbeger
called from the desk.

"Nothin'," Benner replied surlily; and Hunch said, "Benner's mad 'cause
I told him somethin' he didn't like."

"Well, no fighting here."

"Say, Benner, what'd yer call me a liar fer?" Hunch asked when the
Colonel's back was turned.

"'Cause yer sed Lizzi knowed she was married wrong."

This was spoken in a whisper so the Colonel would not hear it.

"Didn't say nothin' uv the kind. I sed she knowed the boys hed gone
huntin' fer Gill."

"They won't ketch him," the blind man stated. "If he's run off, he'll
hide from 'em, but he couldn't hide from me."

Hunch did not laugh at this declaration. He had equal faith in the blind
man's ability as a detective, and expressed it.

"They orter hev took yer with 'em."

"Yes, they orter."

"Hunch!" called the clerk who had succeeded Gill. He responded, and was
sent to the cellar. When he returned, Blind Benner had formed his plan
and was ready to disclose it.

"Hunch, Gill must be brung back ter Lizzi, an' I want yer ter take me
ter the McAnay boys an' I'll help find him."

"I'll do it, Benner."

"Hand, then, Hunch."

They closed the compact, which had been made in whispers, with a
vigorous hand shaking.

Bill Kellar stood before the door of his house, shouting at the top of
his voice as if he bayed the moon, just rising over the top of Bald
Mountain. Echo, hid