Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/113

Rh will make them suspicious. Better come in and wait patiently." "I can't wait patiently! Oh! Why don't they come! I— There they come!" she added hastily, as she stepped quickly back into the room.

"We can't find him," said the leader, as he stopped for a moment in front of the kitchen door. "Apparently you told the truth." "Apparently we did," retorted Hannah, her eyes snapping, as it was evident the search was about to be abandoned.

Brown said no more, but at once turned and with his followers remounted and rode swiftly out to the road, not once glancing back at the house.

"There! Thank goodness! We 've seen the last of them!" exclaimed Hannah, as the men disappeared from sight. "Now I 'll dig the poor fellow out of his grave."

"Had n't you better wait"—began Mrs. Nott; but evidently Hannah had no thought of waiting longer, for she ran to the ash-heap, and with her hands began to dig away the ashes around the place where the tip of the goose-quill could be seen. In a brief time Robert's face appeared and Hannah said gleefully, —