"
Emily's cheek again blanched, as she saw all hope in this quarter cut
off.
"Poor Hatchie!" said she, as calmly as her excited feelings would
permit. "What was it, Uncle Jaspar?"
Jaspar's lip curled a little at the weakness which could feel for a
slave, and he commenced the narrative he had concocted to account for
the disappearance of Hatchie.
"About eleven o'clock last night," said he, "as I was about to retire, I
heard a slight noise, which appeared to proceed from the library.
Knowing that you would not be there at that hour, I at once suspected
that the river-thieves, who have grown so bold of late, had broken into
the house. I seized my rifle, and when I opened the door the thief
sprung out at the open window. I pursued him down the shell-road to the
river; upon reaching which I perceived him paddling a canoe towards the
opposite shore. I fired. A splash in the water followed the discharge.
The canoe came ashore a short distance below, but the man was either
killed by the ball or drowned. In the canoe I found a bundle of
valuables, which had been stolen from the library,--among them your
father's watch.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93