k fringe which marked the forest and the
liquid note of a whippoorwill arose out of the solitary depths, a
melancholy tone in the stillness of the night. The little owl, too,
was heard, his note now sounding like the filing of a saw and again
changing in character to the tinkling of a bell. A dog howled for a
moment in the barn-yard, and then, apparently satisfied with having
given this evidence of watchfulness, re-entered his house of one room
and curled himself upon the straw in his parlor, after which nothing
more was heard from him.

Drawing the curtains of his own couch, a large, four-posted affair,
sleep soon overpowered the stranger; but sleep, broken and fitful! Nor
did he dream only of France and of kings running away, of American
land barons and of "bolters." More intrusive than these, the faces of
the strollers crept in and disturbed his slumbers, not least among
which were the features of the dark-eyed girl whose gown had caught as
she passed through the doorway.

CHAPTER II

A NEW ARRIVAL

The crowing of the cock awakened the French traveler, and, going to
the window, he saw that daylight had thrown its first shafts upon the
unromantic barn-yard scene, while in the east above the hill-tops
spread the early flush of morning. The watch-dog had left his
one-roomed cottage and was promenading before it in stately fashion
with all the pomp of a satisfied land-holder, his great undershot jaw
and the extraordinary outward curve of his legs proclaiming an
untarnished pedigree. The hens were happily engaged in scratching the
earth for their breakfast; the rooster, no longer crestfallen, was
strutting in the sunshine, while next to the barn several grunting,
squealing pigs struggled for supremacy in the trough. From the
cow-shed came an occasional low and soon a slip-shod maid, yawning
mightily, appeared, pail in hand, and moved across the yard to her
early morning task.

Descending the stairs and making his way to the barn, the soldier
called to Sandy, the stable boy, who was performing his ablutions by
passing wet fingers through a shock of red hair, to saddle his horse.
The sleepy lad led forth a large but shapely animal, and soon the
stranger was galloping across the country, away from the village, now
down a gentle declivity, with the virgin forest on either side, then
through a tract of land where was apparent the husbandry of the
people.

After a brisk pace for some miles, he reined in his hor