ic fairness of this start made its strong appeal. Mr. Slosson
dwelt upon it with satisfaction. "She had three to her credit, I had
three to mine; neither could crow none over the other."

As they stumbled forward through the thick obscurity he continued his
personal revelations, the present enterprise having roused whatever
there was of sentiment slumbering in his soul. At last they came out on
a wide bayou; a white mist hung above it, and on the low shore leaf and
branch were dripping with the night dews. Keeping close to the water's
edge Slosson led the way to a point where a skiff was drawn up on the
bank.

"Step in, ma'am," he said, when he had launched it.

"I will go no farther!" said Betty in desperation. She felt an
overmastering fear, the full horror of the unknown lay hold of her, and
she gave a piercing cry for help. Slosson swung about on his heel and
seized her. For a moment she struggled to escape, but the man's big
hands pinioned her.

"No more of that!" he warned, then he recovered himself and laughed.
"You could yell till you was black in the face, ma'am, and there'd be no
one to hear you."

"Where are you taking me?" and Betty's voice faltered between the sudden
sobs that choked her.

"Just across to George Hicks's."

"For what purpose?"

"You'll know in plenty of time." And Slosson leered at her through the
darkness.

"Hannibal is to go with me?" asked Betty tremulously.

"Sure!" agreed Slosson affably. "Your nigger, too--quite a party."

Betty stepped into the skiff. She felt her hopes quicken--she was
thinking of Bess; whatever the girl's motives, she had wished her to
escape. She would wish it now more than ever since the very thing she
had striven to prevent had happened. Slosson seated himself and took up
the oars, Bunker followed with Hannibal and they pushed off. No word
was spoken until they disembarked on the opposite shore, when Slosson
addressed Bunker. "I reckon I can manage that young rip-staver, you go
back after Sherrod and the nigger," he said.

He conducted his captives up the bank and they entered a clearing.
Looking across this Betty saw where a cabin window framed a single
square of light. They advanced toward this and presently the dark
outline of the cabin itself became distinguishable. A moment later
Slosson paused, a door yielded to his hand, and Betty and the boy were
thrust into the room where Murrell had held his conference with Fentress
and Ware. The two wom