Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/148

132 His good humor was contagious, and Robert also laughed as he said, "I did n't know whether or not you were the son of the Mr. Nott I want to find."

"If I'm not the Nott you want, then you 'll not want this Nott. But if I am the Nott you want, then you 'll not have to look for any other Nott, at least not right away. Is not that so?"

"I think it is," replied Robert. "But how do I know you 're the right Nott? You may not be the Nott after all, and then I 'll wish I'd not spoken to this Nott."

"I'm Hannah Nott's twin brother anyway. My name's Joseph Nott." "You are!" exclaimed Robert. Yes, he could understand it now, and his resemblance to his sister was certainly striking. Doubtless it was this very fact that had led him to believe that he must have seen the young man somewhere when he had first met him. "Then I 'll tell you what I have to say," he hastily added; and he related the story of the visit of Claudius Brown and his gang, and what occurred in the home where Hannah and her mother had been left.

Joseph Nott listened attentively, and as soon as Robert's story had been told he said,