disappeared in the house. He did not move.
Why were they so long within? Hours, it seemed to Frale, but in reality
it was only a short search they were making there. They were longer
looking about the sheds and yard. Hoyle accompanied them everywhere, his
hands in his pockets, standing about, shivering with excitement.

All around they went peering and searching, thrusting their arms as far
as they could reach into the stacks of fodder, looking into troughs and
corn sacks, setting the fowls to cackling wildly, even hauling out the
long corn stalks from the wagon which had served to make Thryng's ride
the night before comfortable. No spot was overlooked.

Frequently they stood and parleyed. Then Frale's heart would sink within
him. What if they should set Nig to track him! Ah, he would strangle the
beast and pitch him over the fall. He would spring over after him before
he would let himself be taken and hanged. Oh, he could feel the
strangling rope around his neck already! He could not bear it--he could
not!

Thus cowering, he waited, starting at every sound from below as if to
run, then sinking back in fear, breathless with the pounding of his
heart in his breast. Now the voices came up to him painfully clear. They
were talking to little Hoyle angrily. What they were saying he could not
make out, but he again cautiously lifted his head and looked below.
Suddenly the child drew back and lifted his arm as if to ward off a
blow, but the blow came. Frale saw one of the men turn as he mounted his
horse to ride away, and cut the boy cruelly across his face and arm with
his rawhide whip. The little one's shriek of fright and pain pierced his
big brother to the heart and caused him to forget for the moment his own
abject fear.

He made as if he would leap the intervening space to punish the brute,
but a cry of anger died in his throat as he realized his situation. The
selfishness of his fear, however, was dispelled, and he no longer
cringed as before, but had the courage again to watch, awake and alert
to all that passed beneath him.

Hoyle's cry brought Cassandra out of the house flying. She walked up to
the man like an angry tigress. Frale rose to his knees and strained
eagerly forward.

"If you are such a coward you must hit something small and weak, you can
strike a woman. Hit me," she panted, putting the child behind her.

Muttering, the man rode sullenly away. "He no business hangin' roun'
we-uns, list'nin' to all