andthink how awkward for you it would be if we were caught flyingtogether."
"Birds of a feather. It might have been worse if you had not disposed ofSwallow."
"I must tell you what a genuine brick you are. If they overtake us itwill give me the greatest delight in the world to fight the whole possefor your sake."
"After that, do you wonder I want to go with you?" she whispered, andCrosby would have fought a hundred men for her.
The marshal and his men were now following Mr. Austin and the lanterntoward the barn, and the road was quite deserted. Mrs. Delancy andCrosby started off rapidly in the direction of the town. The low rumbleof distant thunder came to their ears, and ever and anon the westernblackness was faintly illumined by flashes of lightning. Neither of thefugitives uttered a word until they were far past the gate.
"By George, Mrs. Delancy, we are forgetting one important thing," saidCrosby. They were striding along swiftly arm in arm. "They'll discoverour flight, and the railway station will be just where they'll expect tofind us."
"Oh, confusion! We can't go to the station, can we?"
"We can, but we'll be captured with humiliating ease."
"I know what we can do. Scott Higgins is the tenant on my farm, and helives half a mile farther from town than Austin. We can turn back to hisplace, but we will have to cut across one of Mr. Austin's fields."
"Charming. We can have the satisfaction of trampling on some of Mr.Austin's early wheat crop. Right about, face! But, incidentally, whatare we to do after we get to Mr. Higgins's?" They were now scurryingback over the ground they had just traversed.
"Oh, dear me, why should we think about troubles until we come to them?"
"I wasn't thinking about troubles. I'm thinking about something to eat."
"You are intensely unromantic. But Mrs. Higgins is awfully good. Shewill give us eggs and cakes and milk and coffee and--everything. Won'tit be jolly?"
Five minutes later they were plunging through a field of partly grownwheat, in what she averred to be the direction of the Higgins home. Itwas not good walking, but they were young and strong and very muchinterested in one another and the adventure.
"Hello, what's this? A river?" he cried, as the swish of running waterscame to his ears.
"Oh; isn't it dreadful? I forgot this creek was here, and there is nobridge nearer than a mile. What shall we do? See there is a light inHiggins's house over there. Isn't it disgusting? I could sit down andcry," she wailed. In the distance a dog was heard barking fiercely, butthey did not recognize the voice of Swallow. A new trouble confrontedthem.
"HE WAS SPLASHING THROUGH THE SHALLOW BROOK"]
"Don't do that," he said resignedly. "Remember how Eliza crossed the icewith the bloodhounds in full trail. Do you know how deep and wide thecreek is?"
"It's a tiny bit of a thing, but it's wet," she said ruefully.
"I'll carry you over." And a moment later he was splashing through theshallow brook, holding the lithe, warm figure of his client high abovethe water. As he set her down upon the opposite bank she gave a prettysigh of satisfaction, and naively told him that he was very strong for aman in the last stages of starvation.
Two or three noisy dogs gave them the first welcome, and Crosby sagelylooked aloft for refuge. His companion quieted the dogs, however, andthe advance on the squat farmhouse was made without resistance. Thevisitors were not long in acquainting the good-natured and astonishedyoung farmer with the situation. Mrs. Higgins was called from her bedand in a jiffy was bustling about the kitchen, from which soon floatedodors so tantalizing that the refugees could scarcely suppress thedesire to rush forth and storm the good cook in her castle.
"It's mighty lucky you got here when you did, Mrs. Delancy," saidHiggins, peering from the window. "Looks 's if it might rain beforelong. We ain't got much of a place here, but, if you'll put up with it,I guess we can take keer of you over night."
"Oh, but we couldn't think of it," she protested. "After we have hadsomething to eat we must hurry off to the station."
"What station?" asked Crosby sententiously.
"I don't know, but it wouldn't be a bit nice to spoil the adventure bystopping now."
"But we can't walk all over the State of Illinois," he cried.
"For shame! You are ready to give up the instant something to eat comesin sight. Mr. Higgins may be able to suggest something. What is thenearest----"
"I have it," interrupted Crosby. "The Wabash road runs through thisneighborhood, doesn't it? Well, where is its nearest station?"
"Lonesomeville--about four miles south," said Higgins.
"Do the night trains stop there?"
"I guess you can flag 'em."
"There's an east-bound train from St. Louis about midnight, I'm quitesure."
While the fugitives were enjoying Mrs. Higgins's hastily but adorablyprepared meal, the details of the second stage of the flight wereperfected. Mr. Higgins gladly consented to hitch up his high-boardedfarm wagon and drive them to the station on the Wabash line, and half anhour later Higgins's wagon clattered away in the night. To allappearances he was the only passenger. But seated on a soft pile ofgrain sacks in the rear of the wagon, completely hidden from view by thetall "side-beds," were the refugees. Mrs. Delancy insisted upon thismode of travel as a precaution against the prying eyes of persistentmarshal's men. Hidden in the wagon-bed they might reasonably escapedetection, she argued, and Crosby humored her for more reasons than one.Higgins threw a huge grain tarpaulin over the wagon-bed, and they weresure to be dry in case the rainstorm came as expected. It was so darkthat neither could see the face of the other. He had a longing desire totake her hand into his, but there was something in the atmosphere thatwarned him against such a delightful but unnecessary proceeding.Naturally, they were sitting quite close to each other; even the severejolting of the springless wagon could not disturb the feeling of happycontentment.
THEY ENJOY MRS HIGGIN'S GOOD SUPPER]
"I hope it won't storm," she said nervously, as a little shudder ranthrough her body. The wind was now blowing quite fiercely and thoselong-distant rolls of thunder were taking on the sinister sound ofnear-by crashes. "I don't mind thunder when I'm in the house."
"And under the bed, I suppose," he laughed.
"Well, you know, lightning COULD strike this wagon," she persisted. "Oh,goodness, that was awfully close!" she cried, as a particularly loudcrash came to their ears.
The wagon came to an abrupt stop, and Crosby was about to crawl forth todemand the reason when the sound of a man's voice came through therushing wind.
"What is it?" whispered Mrs. Delancy, clutching his arm.
"Sh!" he replied. "We're held up by highwaymen, I think!"
"Oh, how lovely!" she whispered rapturously.
"How far are you goin'?" came the strange voice from the night.
"Oh, 's far ag'in as half," responded Higgins warily.
"That you, Scott?" demanded the other.
"Yep."
"Say, Scott, gimme a ride, will you? Goin' as far as Lonesomeville?"
"What you doin' out this time o' night?" demanded Higgins.
"Lookin' for a feller that tried to steal Mr. Austin's horses. Wethought we had him cornered up to the place, but he got away somehow.But we'll get him. Davis has got fifty men scouring the country, I bet.I been sent on to Lonesomeville to head him off if he tries to take atrain. He's a purty desperate character, they say, too, Scott. Say,gimme a lift as far as you're agoin', won't you?"
"I--I--well, I reckon so," floundered the helpless Higgins.
"Really, this is getting a bit serious," whispered Crosby to hisbreathless companion.
The deputy was now on the seat with Higgins, and the latter, bewilderedand dismayed beyond expression, was urging his horses into their fastesttrot.
"How far is it to Lonesomeville?" asked the deputy.
"'Bout two mile."
"It'll rain before we get there," said the other significantly.
"I'm not afeared of
rain," said Higgins.
"What are you goin' over there this time o' night for?" asked the other."You ain't got much of a load."
"I'm--I'm takin' some meat over to Mr. Talbert."
"Hams?"
"No; jest bacon," answered Scott, and his two hearers in the wagon-bedlaughed silently.
"Not many people out a night like this," volunteered the