at any rate."

On Saturday morning, therefore, Mr. Byles Gridley set forth to procure
a conveyance to make a visit, as he said, dawn the river, and perhaps be
gone a day or two. He went to a stable in the village, and asked if they
could let him have a horse.

The man looked at him with that air of native superiority which the
companionship of the generous steed confers on all his associates, down
to the lightest weight among the jockeys.

"Wal, I hain't got nothin' in the shape of a h'oss, Mr. Gridley. I've
got a mare I s'pose I could let y' have."

"Oh, very well," said the old master, with a twinkle in his eye as sly
as the other's wink,--he had parried a few jokes in his time,--"they
charge half-price for mares always, I believe."

That was a new view of the subject. It rather took the wind out of the
stable-keeper, and set a most ammoniacal fellow, who stood playing with
a currycomb, grinning at his expense. But he rallied presently.

"Wal, I b'lieve they do for some mares, when they let 'em to some folks;
but this here ain't one o' them mares, and you ain't one o' them folks.
All my cattle's out but this critter, 'n' I don't jestly want to
have nobody drive her that ain't pretty car'ful,--she's faast, I tell
ye,--don't want no whip.--How fur d' d y' want t' go?"

Mr. Gridley was quite serious now, and let the man know that he wanted
the mare and a light covered wagon, at once, to be gone for one or two
days, and would waive the question of sex in the matter of payment.

Alderbank was about twenty miles down the river by the road. On arriving
there, he inquired for the house where a Mr. Lindsay lived. There was
only one Lindsay family in town,--he must mean Dr. William Lindsay. His
house was up there a little way above the village, lying a few rods back
from the river.

He found the house without difficulty, and knocked at the door. A
motherly-looking woman opened it immediately, and held her hand up as if
to ask him to speak and move softly.

"Does Mr. Clement Lindsay live here?"

"He is staying here for the present. He is a nephew of ours. He is in
his bed from an injury."

"Nothing very serious, I hope?"

"A bruise on his head,--not very bad, but the doctor was afraid of
erysipelas. Seems to be doing well enough now."

"Is there a young person here, a stranger?"

"There is such a young person here. Do you come with any authority to
make inquiries?"

"I do. A young friend of mine is missing,