e said, "and Chloe has got some food. I don't
think there is anything else worth taking in the house."

"Very well, we will be off," Vincent said, leading the way to the door.

A minute later Dan rode past, and Vincent called him and told him they
were going to start.

"Shall we take de horses, sah?"

"No, Dan. We are going to carry out our original plan of crossing the
river in a boat, and I think the horses would be rather in our way than
not. But you had better not leave them here. Take them to the farther
side of the clearing, and get them through the fence into the forest,
then strike across as quickly as you can and join us where we were
stopping to-day. Miss Kingston and her servant are going with us. They
cannot stay here after what has taken place."

Dan at once rode off with the two horses, and the others walked across
to the edge of the clearing and waited until he rejoined them.

"Now, Miss Kingston, you must be our guide at present."

"We must cross the road, first," the girl said. "Nearly opposite to
where we are there is a little path through the wood, leading straight
down to the river. The boat lies only a short distance from it."

The path was a narrow one, and it was very dark under the trees.

"Mind how you go," Vincent said, as the girl stepped lightly on ahead.
"You might get a heavy fall if you caught your foot in a root."

She instantly moderated her pace. "I know the path well, but it was
thoughtless of me to walk so fast. I forgot you did not know it, and if
you were to stumble you might hurt your arm terribly. How does it feel
now?"

"It certainly hurts a bit," Vincent replied in a cheerful tone; "but now
it is strapped tightly to me it cannot move much. Please do not worry
about me."

"Ah!" she said, "I cannot forget how you got it--how you attacked twelve
men to save me!"

"Still less can I forget, Miss Kingston, how you, a young girl,
confronted death rather than say a word that would place me in their
power."

"That was quite different, Mr. Wingfield. My own honor was pledged not
to betray you, who had trusted me."

"Well, we will cry quits for the present, Miss Kingston; or, rather, we
will be content to remain for the present in each other's debt."

A quarter of an hour's walking brought them to the river.

"Now," Lucy said, "we must make our way about ten yards through these
bushes to the right."

With some difficulty they passed through the thick screen of bushes,