is wondering
auditors (Harding only excepted--who yawned and was hungry) so much of
the antecedents and character of the strange Virginian as could bear any
relation to the abduction--though abduction it could not be properly
called. That that singular and commanding man and that equally singular
mere child had been friends, perhaps lovers, was evident; that they had
fled away, with the girl's consent, beyond the hope of successful
pursuit, was equally evident: and here the mystery for the time shut
completely down, and they knew no more.

But what was it that Mazeppa said, through the lips of his
self-appointed spokesman, Byron, of the impossibility of escaping the
patient search and long vigil of the man seeking revenge for wrong? He
might have cited another motive, less fierce but quite as
powerful--_curiosity_! _Job Thornberry_ may give up his search for the
name of the destroyer of his daughter, and allow her to break her heart
in quiet; but not so _Paul Pry_, who needs a full explanation of the
scandal for retail purposes. John Crawford, in spite of the oath which
he could now no longer keep, might possibly have allowed the mystery to
rest here, had not Tom Leslie, who had sworn no oath whatever, been in
his way. Balked in New York and mystified everywhere, the latter
gentleman determined to know more--or less! John Crawford only needed
this companionship; and an hour after the discovery of the abduction,
the two once more whirled over into Canada, possibly on a longer ride
than the one they had just concluded.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE SEQUEL AT WEST FALLS--COLONEL CRAWFORD'S FLIGHT, AND HOW IT WAS
ACCOUNTED FOR--JOSEPHINE HARRIS'S RETURN TO NEW YORK, AND HER
DISAPPOINTMENT--ANOTHER CONSPIRACY.

The length to which this narration, involving the fortunes of so many
different persons, has already extended, renders it necessary that some
of the succeeding incidents should be passed over with great rapidity
and in some instances even grouped together without order or
arrangement.

Were the opportunity otherwise, a forcible picture might be drawn of the
events at West Falls, following the departure of Colonel Egbert Crawford
and the discovery of his flight through the means of one of the
farm-hands who had seen him driving rapidly away towards Utica. Nearly
an hour after his departure had elapsed, before Mary Crawford was aware
of it; and naturally her first step, on being informed that he had left
the vill