e cannot harm you now?"

"No danger, Mrs. Travilla," cried the doctor, looking back as he rode
off.

CHAPTER SIXTEENTH.

"Oft those whose cruelty makes many mourn
Do by the fires which they first kindle burn."
--EARL OF STIRLING.

"As crimes do grow, justice should rouse itself."
--JOHNSON'S CATILINE.

Jackson thought he read suspicion in the doctor's eye as the latter left
the office; also he felt sure the physician would not ride far before
hearing of the attack on Viamede, and would speedily come at the truth by
putting that and that together; perhaps return with a party of avengers,
and hang him to a tree in the adjacent forest.

"I must get out o' this before I'm an hour older," said the scoundrel to
himself. "Oh, for the strength I had yesterday!"

"Why don't you lie down, sah, as Massa Doctah tole ye?" asked Nap,
returning. "Massa always 'spects folks to do prezactly as he tells dem."

"Why, Sambo, I'm too dirty to lie on that nice sofa," replied Jackson,
glancing down at his soiled garments.

"Sambo's not my name, sah," said the negro, drawing himself up with
dignity; "I'se Napoleon Boningparty George Washington Marquis de
Lafayette, an' dey calls me Nap for short. If ye'll take off dat coat,
sah, an' dem boots, I'll take 'em out to de kitchen yard an' clean 'em."

"Thank you; if you will I'll give you a dollar. And if you'll brush the
mud from my pants first, I'll try the sofa; for I'm nearly dead for sleep
and rest."

"All right, sah," and Nap went to a closet, brought out a whisk, and using
it vigorously upon the pantaloons, soon brushed away the mud, which the
sun had made very dry. A few blood stains were left, but there was no help
for that at present. The coat was taken off with some difficulty on
account of the wounded arm, then the boots, and Jackson laid himself down
on the sofa and closed his eyes.

Nap threw the coat over his arm, and taking the boots in the other hand
went softly out, closing the door behind him. "Safe 'nuff now, I reckon,"
he chuckled to himself; "guess he not trabble far widout dese."

He was hardly gone, however, when Jackson roused himself and forced his
weary eyes to unclose. "As dangerous as to go to sleep when freezing," he
muttered. He rose, stepped to the closet door, and opened it.

A pair of boots stood on the floor, a coat hung on a peg. He helped
himself to both, sat down a