ame star. What news of the
lamb in the pasture?"

As though taking time to accommodate himself to the Governor's manner of
speech Perky lighted his pipe and flicked the match into the river.

"The little lamb is not happy. The father is expected tonight. I've got
orders to chop wood while he's on the reservation."

"The son is not wise to the metal trick and you drop into the
background?"

"The true word has been spoken, brother."

"The son has been long upon the road. What caused him to linger?"

"A broken arm, so the old man has it; and repairs have been made in a
hospital at Portland by the eastern sea."

The Governor dug his elbow into Archie's ribs. Archie caught a gleam.
Putney Congdon had been in a hospital recovering from the bullet wound
received at Bailey Harbor, but was now arriving at his father's Ohio
farm, where his child, the lamb referred to, was concealed. Putney was
to be kept in ignorance of the lure of the tampered coins that had
brought Perky into alliance with his father, and Perky was to interest
himself in wood-chopping during the son's visit. In the privacy of the
bridge with only an uninterested river for auditor, there seemed to be
no reason why these matters should not be discussed openly; but the
Governor evidently enjoyed these veiled communications, though it was
clear that Perky found difficulty in fashioning the responses.

"Is there work in the fields for willing hands? Shall we find welcome as
laborers keen for the harvest?" asked the Governor.

"The slave driver weeps for lack of help and the pay is high. You will
be welcome. When the sun makes its shortest shadow tomorrow you will
sign papers for the voyage."

This penetrated to Archie's consciousness as assurance that he and the
Governor would find employment on Eliphalet's farm, where Edith Congdon
was being concealed from her mother, and that the most fortunate time to
apply for employment was at noon the next day.

"The lamb must be carried to more northern pastures. We must guard
against snares and pitfalls."

"The old ram is keen but only one eye may be used at a knot-hole. He
suspects nothing. We have spoken enough?"

"Longer speech would be a weariness; you may leave us."

Perky waited for a motor to clatter over the bridge and with a careless
"So long!" walked away whistling.

"A pretty decent chap, that," remarked the Governor, "with a highly
developed bump of discretion. A man I hope to see with his feet