man Collar here?" Peasley demanded.

"He is back in the garden," the woman answered.

"Please ask him to come here."

In a moment Collar came around the house with a hoe on his shoulder. He
was a slim, sandy bearded, long-haired man of medium height, with keen
gray eyes.

"Good morning, Mr. Constable," said Peasley. "This is Eliphalet Biggs of
St. Louis, and here is a warrant for his arrest."

He passed a paper to the officer.

"For my arrest!" Biggs exclaimed. "What is the charge?"

"That you hired a number of men to burn the house of Samson Henry
Traylor, near the village of New Salem, in Sangamon County, and, by
violence, to compel him to leave said county; that, on the 29th of
August, said men--the same being eight in number--attempted to carry out
your design and, being captured and overpowered, all confessed their
guilt and your connection with it, their sworn confessions being now in
the possession of one Stephen Nuckles, a minister of this county. I do
not need to remind you that it is a grave offense and likely to lead to
your confinement for a term of years."

"Well, by G--," Biggs shouted, in anger. "You suckers will have some
traveling to do before you arrest me."

He struck the spurs in his horse and galloped away, followed by his
servant. Samson roared with laughter.

"Now, Collar, get on your horse and hurry 'em along, but don't ketch up
with 'em if you can help it," said Peasley. "We've got them on the run
now. They'll take to the woods an' be darn careful to keep out of sight."

When the Constable had gone, Peasley said to Samson: "We'll drop these
slaves at Nate Haskell's door. He'll take care of 'em until dark and
start 'em on the north road. Late in the evening I'll pick 'em up an'
get 'em out o' this part o' the country."

Meanwhile Brimstead and Harry had stood for a moment in the dooryard of
the former, watching the party on its way up the road. Brimstead blew out
his breath and said in a low tone:

"Say, I'll tell ye, I ain't had so much excitement since Samson Traylor
rode into Flea Valley. The women need a chance to wash their faces and
slick up a little. Le's you and me go back to the creek and go in
swimmin' an' look the farm over."

"What become of the third nigger?" Harry asked.

"She went out in the field in a sunbonnet an' went to work with a hoe and
they didn't discover her," said Brimstead.

"It must have been a nigger that didn't belong to him," Harry declared.

"I