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 "No, sir! we never did come up on 'im—" He nodded toward the swamp. "He's in yander."

"Do you expect him to come out while you are sitting here?" asked Manning.

"There ain't many places where he kin come aout, and we got men watchin' them. We'll git im!"

Manning and Leyden passed on with no further comment The "cracker" drew out a piece of tobacco, gnawed off a corner, and continued to watch.

Leyden remained for three days upon the plantation and then left for Florida, promising to return before proceeding to Mexico. At the last moment Giles decided not to accompany him, but compromised by driving him into Charleston.

Virginia, finding herself alone, for Manning had ridden off to look at a tract of timber, decided to take a walk. It was a delightful day in the middle of November; the air was soft but fine, inviting exercise. Having been repeatedly forbidden by Manning to go out of call of the plantation house, Virginia eased her conscience by taking with her a large Danish boarhound, an animal meek in disposition, and not cursed with an undue amount of courage, but of formidable aspect and much feared by the plantation negroes. She carried also in the pocket of her jacket a small pistol, in the use of which Giles had instructed her. It was one of the deadly little modern arms which will fire nine times without further effort than repeated pressures of the trigger.

Virginia was not timid, but when confronted with danger she was impulsive, erratic, apt to lose her head. Her nature was one of those ever ready to run a risk, 271