Lilias, Chapters LX-LXIV [pp. 171-177]

1857.]
LILIAS.
BY LAURENCE NEVILLE.
track. Take'em to whar he was fust
seen that day-then follow his trail to
whar his handkerchief was found, and
on to the cross-roads, whar those two men
saw him. Show the difference'tween his
tracks and these here we'se been following. You noticed the difference?"
" Yes."
"Well, thar's a mighty difference; and
you kin follow a horse's track now?"
" I don't know. I see it can be done."
"To be sure it ken be done. Well,
it's going to rain, and then thar'll be an
end of it. So, friend, if you wants to
promote justice, and clear the innocent,
don't you lose ne'er a minute, but hurry
on back and do what I tell you.
"And we must be pushing on too. We've got an easy trail to follow, now that
its struck out on a long stretch-but
they've got a mighty start. Good-bye,
sir! Come, old comrade! up and at it.
How do you find yourself upon the prospect of a long chase?"
'Very well," said John.
"You like it, don't you?"
"Yes."
"So do I, most nation well, and if it
just won't rain'till we can get a sight of
erem, I'll be happy as'an elephant."
-So Fielder turned about to retrace
his steps, very eagerly interested in the
matter in which he was engaged, while
Lincoln and John Winthrop, at a swingin g pace, took up the trail, which now
led almost due West. But we must leave
our wood-craftsmen and hurry on with
our narrative.
"Halt! Let's stop awhile, old comrade!" cried Lincoln, about two hours
after we last saw them, as with John
Winthrop and Fielder, he reached the top
of a long hill. " You are great on a trail,
that's a fact! But let's stop awhile, and
hold a l ittle consultation.
" I've been thinking on matters as w e
come along. These tw o chaps that we
are after, you noticed, woun d about at
first, this way and that? They was seekingthe o avi the thickest woods, avoiding the
openings-feared of being seen. But for
the last thr ee or four miles, they's struck
out a straight course-taking a bee-line.
They's got a long way the start of us,
a nd m ay be we can't catch'em. But
one of'em is badly crippled, and they's
had to move slow, and we can push on
faster, and will never give it up. But
then, what I want to say is this: Our
bu s iness was to do- what's already doneprove that that young man yo nd er aint
guilty. We've proved it plain enough.
But I've been thinking'twould be well
for some others to see what we've donesee that we have proved it.'Twould
make'hings surer, you see, and that's
what the squire wants.
"Now, this gentleman," turning to
Fielder, " while we likes his company
very well, can see that he aint of much
use to us in the chase. And besides, you
said, sir, you could'nt go with us much
further. So my advice then is, that you
go back and show some of your neighbours what we've seen. You know all
of the ground that we've been over, and
can go over it again? Well, that'll keep
matters straight, while I and my old comrade here," nodding at John, " push on
after these two, and all will be right.
And then, there's another point to be
looked after, too. You must make your
companions examine the tracks. You
must show'emn that young man's horse's
171
CHAPTIER LX.
A BRIEF CONSULTATION.
CHAPTER LXI.
RETURNS TO LILIAS.
. It is very difficult to tell a great deal in
a few words. It is. only high art, that
with a few strokes of the pencil can present what shall appear a finished picture.
We pretend to no such power;- conse