The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-06-05
CHAPTER XVII.


OSvU 60o00 10 00ttys
Just where he had parted from
Ware. Darlington sat his horse, his
brows knit and his eyes turned In the
direction Of the path. He was on his
way to plantation below Birard. the
owner OF which had recently import
cd pack Of bloodhounds; but this
unexpected encounter with Ware had
affected him strangely. He still heard
Toms stammering speech, he was
still seeing his CHASTITY face, and he
had como upon him with startling
suddenness. He had chanced to look
back over his shoulder and when he
faced about there had been the plant
er within hundred yards OF him.
Presently Carrington's glance ceas-
ed to follow the windings OF the path.
lie stared down at the gray dust and
saw the trail left by Hues and his
Sarty. For q moment he hesitated: !:
II the dogs were to be used with any
hope of success he had no time to
spare. and this was the merest sus-
picion. illogical conjecture, based on
nothing beyond his distrust OF Ware.
In the end he sprang from the saddle,
and leading his horse into the woods.
tied II to q sapling.
A hurried investigation told him
that five men had ridden In and out OF
that path. OF the five. all coming
from the south. four had turned
south again. but the fifth man-Ware,
In other words-had gone north. He
weighed the possible significance OF
these facts.
II am only wasting time!" he con
fessed reluctantly. and was on the
point of turning away. when, on the
very edge OF the road and Just where
the dust yielded to the hard clay OF
the path. his glance lighted on the
print OF q small and daintiiy shod
foot. The throbbing OF his heart
Quickened curiously.
''Betty!" The word ieaped from bis
Lips.
That small foot had left but the
one impress. There were other signs,
however. that claimed bis attention !;
namely. the footprints OF Slosson
and his men; and he made the In
evitable discovery that these tracks
were all confined to the one spot.
They began suddenly and as sudden
ly ceased. yet there was no mystery
about these; he had the marks OF the
wheels TO help hsm to . sure conclu.
sion. A carriage had turned Just
here. several men had alighted; they
had with them q child. or q woman
Either they had re-entered the car.
riage and driven back az they had
come. or they had gone toward the
river. He felt the soul within him
turn sick.
He stole along the path: the. terror
OF the river was ever In his thoughts,
and the specter OF his fear seemed to
hit before him and lure him on. Pres.
, emily he caught his first glimpse of
the bayou and his legs shook under
him; but the path wound deeper still
into That appeared to be an un.
touched solitude. wound on between
the crosding tree forms. q little bach
from the shore. with an Intervening
anu DuSne6. lie
scanned this closely as he hurried
forward. scarcely conscious that be
was searching for some trampled
space at the waters edge: but the
verdant wall preserved It's unbroke on
continuity. and twenty minutes later
he came within sight OF Hicks clear.
ing and tho keel boat. where 1t rested
against the bank.
A little farther on he found the
spot where Slosson had launched the
skin the night before. The keel OF his
boat had cut deep into tho slippery
clay: more than this. the impress OF
the small shoe was repeated here. and
just beside II was the print OF child's
hnre foot.
I. no longer doubted that Betty
t." Hannibal had been takan acro.s