Page:The Partisan (revised).djvu/186

 "Ha! are you sure of that, Humphries?&mdash;think you so?"

"Ay, sir&mdash;the pine that was struck marks the by-path through which I should have carried you in daylight. It is the shortest, though the worst; and he could not have been far from it when you started him. Ah! I have it now. A mile from this is the house of old Mother Blonay, the dam of that fellow Goggle. We will ride there, major, if you say so."

"With what object, Humphries? what has she to do with it?"

"I suspect the fugitive to be Goggle, the chap I warned you not to take into the troop. Better we had hung him up, for he's not one to depend upon. All his blood's bad: his father&mdash;him they call so, at least&mdash;was a horse-thief; and some say, that he had a cross in his blood. As for that, it's clear to me, that Goggle is a half-breed Indian, or mestizo, or something. Anybody that looks on Goggle will say so; and then the nature of the beast is so like an Indian&mdash;why, sir, he's got no more feeling than a pine stump."

"And with what motive would you ride to his mother's?"

"Why, sir, if this skulking chap be Goggle, he's either been there, or is on his way there; and if so, be sure he's after mischief. Proctor or Huck at the garrison will soon have him among them, and he'll get his pay in English guineas for desertion. Now, sir, it's easy to see if he's been there, for I s'pose the old hag don't mind to tell us."

"Lead on! A mile, you say?"

"A short mile; and if he's not been there yet, he must be about somewhere, and we may get something out of the old woman, who passes for a witch about here, and tells fortunes, and can show you where to find stolen cattle; and they do say, major, though I never believed it&mdash;they do say," and the tones of his voice fell as he spoke&mdash;"they do say she can put the bad mouth upon people; and there's not a few that lay all their aches and complaints to her door."

"Indeed!" was the reply of Singleton; "indeed! she is a sight worth seeing; and so let us ride, Humphries, and get out of this swamp thicket with all possible speed."

"A long leap, major, will be sure to do it. But better we move