alarm, each man should lie low exactly five minutes
before resuming this advance; and that from a point fifty yards from the
cabin a rush should be made upon the doors.

According to the request of the District Attorney, Drake was to be taken
"dead or alive," but according to an adamantine principle of the Force,
he must be taken not only alive, but unscathed if that were humanly
possible. This meant that he must not be given an opportunity to run and
so render shooting necessary. If, however, he should break away, his
chance of escape would be small, as each Trooper was a dead shot with
the weapons he was carrying.

The scheme concerted, the three officers separated, heading apart to
their several starting-points. At five minutes before midnight, to the
tick of their synchronized watches, each began to glide through the tall
grass. But it was late September. The grass was dry. Old briar-veins
dragged at brittle stalks. Shimmering whispers of withered leaves echoed
to the smallest touch; and when the men were still some two hundred
yards from the cabin the sharp ears of a dog caught the rumor of all
these tiny sounds,--and the dog barked.

Every man stopped short--moved not a finger again till five minutes had
passed. Then once more each began to creep--reached the fifty-yard
point--stood up, with a long breath, and dashed for his door.

At one and the same moment, practically, the three stood in the cabin,
viewing a scene of domestic peace. A short, square, swarthy woman, black
of eye, high of cheek bone, stood by a stove calmly stirring a pot. On
the table besides her, on the floor around her, clustered many jars of
peaches--jars freshly filled, steaming hot, awaiting their tops. In a
corner three little children, huddled together on a low bench, stared at
the strangers with sleepy eyes. Three chairs; a cupboard with dishes;
bunches of corn hanging from the rafters by their husks; festoons of
onions; tassels of dried herbs--all this made visible by the dull light
of a small kerosene lamp whose dirty chimney was streaked with smoke.
All this and nothing more.

Two of the men, jumping for the stairs, searched the upper half-story
thoroughly, but without profit.

"Mrs. Drake," said Hallisey, as they returned, "we are officers of the
State Police, come to arrest your husband. Where is he?"

In silence, in utter calm the woman still stirred her pot, not missing
the rhythm of a stroke.

"The dog warned them. He's j