Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/107

Rh "Where's that young rascal?" demanded Claudius Brown brutally. "We have n't any young rascal here," replied Mrs. Nott tartly. "You know what I mean."

Neither woman responded, and after a brief silence Brown laughed brutally as he said, "Oh, we know what we 're talking about. He's here, and the sooner you give him up the better it will be for all concerned."

"Do you mean my brother or my father?" said Hannah quietly. "If you do, you know as well as I do where they are. If you will go on to Fort Montgomery, I think you 'll find them, and they 'll be glad to see you, too."

"Where have you hidden him?"

"Who?"

"That rascally young 'express.’"

"You 'll have to explain yourself," said Hannah, her heart bounding as she heard the word "express." Then her visitor was all that he had claimed to be, and whatever misgivings she might have had in striving to shield a stranger were now satisfied by the demands of Brown. She longed to glance behind her at the ash-heap to make sure that Robert had done nothing to betray his hiding-place, but