Page:Rowland--In the shadow.djvu/313

 Virginia, white as the tablecloth, half rose from her chair. Giles, also white, arose quickly and walked to the front of the house. The sound of many hoofs reached Virginia's ear; the need for action rallied her and she joined Giles who was standing in the doorway. As Virginia glanced at his face, she saw a look which was entirely new to her. Her "pink-and-white" boyish lover had stepped aside to make room for the man in him; it thrilled the girl and made the crisis less fearful.

A cavalcade of a dozen riders was slowly approaching the house; some of them Giles recognized as the men who, with Leyden, he had met upon the trail of the negro several days before. The leader was the same; a handsome fellow, young, apparently of better caste than his followers.

Giles stepped out of the doorway and stood at the head of the long flight of steps. Virginia, standing in the door, watched him with a rush of pride. His head was up, shoulders squared; there were lines in the swell of the strong figure which betokened fight.

Slowly and in silence the cavalcade rode straight to the door, where at a sign from the leader they drew rein. The leader pulled off his great sombrero.

"Good evenin', ma'am! Evenin', sir!"

Giles bowed stiffly. "Good evening," he answered.

"We have come, sir, for that negra; we know that he is heah because he was followed last night by one of my men when brought to this house by your officer."

"Have you a warrant for his arrest?" demanded Giles, in a voice quite new to Virginia.

"We have, sir. Our warrant is the sanctity of 303