The appearance of a stranger in company with captain Willoughby could not fail, therefore, to give rise to many conjectures in the mind of a man whose daily and hourly thoughts were running on these important changes.  “Who can it be,” thought Joel, as he crawled along the lane, bearing the milk, and lifting one leg after the other, as if lead were fastened to his feet.  “Dan’el it is not—­nor is it any one that I can consait on, about the Hut.  The captain is mightily strengthened by this marriage of his da’ter with colonel Beekman, that’s sartain.  The colonel stands wonderful well with our folks, and he ’ll not let all this first-rate land, with such capital betterments, go out of the family without an iffort, I conclude—­but then I calcilate on his being killed—­there must be a disperate lot on ’em shot, afore the war’s over, and he is as likely to be among ’em as another.  Dan’el thinks the colonel has the look of a short-lived man.  Waal; to-morrow will bring about a knowledge of the name of the captain’s companion, and then a body may calcilate with greater sartainty!”

This is but an outline of what passed through Joel’s mind as he moved onward.  It will serve, however, to let the reader into the secret of his thoughts, as well as into their ordinary train, and is essentially connected with some of the succeeding events of our legend.  As the overseer approached the stockade, his ideas were so abstracted that he forgot the risk he ran; but walking carelessly towards the palisades, the dogs barked, and then he was saluted by a shot.  This effectually aroused Joel, who called out in his natural voice, and probably saved his life by so doing.  The report of the rifle, however, produced an alarm, and by the time the astounded overseer had staggered up to the gate, the men were pouring out from the court, armed, and expecting an assault.  In the midst of this scene of confusion, the chaplain admitted Joel, as much astonished as the man himself, at the whole of the unexpected occurrence.

It is unnecessary to say that many questions were asked.  Joel got rid of them, by simply stating that he had gone out to milk a cow, by the captain’s private orders, and that he had forgotten to arrange any signal, by which his return might be known.  He ventured to name his employer, because he knew he was not there to contradict him; and Mr. Woods, being anxious to ascertain if his two friends had been seen, sent the men back to their lairs, without delay, detaining the overseer at the gate for a minute’s private discourse.  As the miller obeyed, with the rest, he asked for the pail with an eye to his own children’s comfort; but, on receiving it, he found it empty!  The bullet had passed through it, and the contents had escaped.

“Did you see any thing, or person, Strides?” demanded the chaplain, as soon as the two were alone.

“Lord, Mr. Woods, I met the captain!—­The sight on him came over me a’most as cruelly as the shot from the rifle; for I no more expected it than I do to see you rise up to heaven, in your clothes, like Elijah of old.  Sure enough, there was the captain, himself, and—­and—­”