ith Monmouth?"

"In sympathy, yes; but I had no hand in the actual fighting. I was not
even ashore until it was all over with. Still I shall pay my share of
the bill."

"And you know what that means, do you not? What will happen when we
reach Virginia?"

"Perfectly; I have no illusions. I have seen just such ships as this
come in. We are to be advertised, and sold to the highest bidder. A
week from now I shall probably be out in the tobacco fields, under the
whip of an overseer, who will call me Jeff. All I can hope for is a
kind-hearted master, and an early opportunity to escape."

"Oh, no!" and in her eagerness her hands actually clasped mine, where
they clung to the rope between us. "It is not going to be quite so bad
as that. That is what I wanted to tell you. That is what gave me
boldness to come across here to you tonight. It has all been
arranged."

"Arranged?"

"Yes--everything. You are not going to be sold on the block with those
others. Uncle Roger has already contracted with the Captain for your
services. You are going north with us to Maryland."

I stared through the dusk into her animated face, scarcely
comprehending.

"Do you not understand, yet?" she asked. "The Captain of this brig is
the agent; he represents the government, and is obliged to find places
for the prisoners."

"Yes; I know that. We are billed like so much livestock; he must
account for every head."

"Well, Uncle Roger went to him yesterday, and made a bid for you.
Finally they came to terms. That is one reason why you are left alone
here on deck tonight. The officers are no longer responsible for
you--you are already indentured."

I drew a deep breath, and in the sudden impulse of relief which swept
over me, my own fingers closed tightly about her hands.

"You tell me I am to accompany your party up the Chesapeake?"

"Yes."

"I owe this to you; I am sure I must owe this to you--tell me?"

Her eyes drooped, and in the dim light I could mark the heaving of her
bosom, as she caught her breath.

"Only--only the suggestion," she managed to say in a whisper. "He--he
was glad of that. You see I--I knew he needed someone to take charge
of his sloop, and--and so I brought you to his mind. We--we both
thought you would be just the one, and--and he went right away to see
the Captain. So please don't thank me."

"I shall never cease to thank you," I returned warmly, conscious
suddenly that I was holding her hands, and as instan