“Of whom should I speak—­of whom should I think but the one—­accursed, fatal and singular, who—­” and he stopped short, while his mind, now comprehending the true relationship between himself and the person beside him, which, in his moody self-examination, he had momentarily forgotten, proceeded to his designs with all his wonted coherence.

“I wander, Dillon, and am half-asleep.  The fact is, I am almost worn out with this unslumbering motion.  I have not been five hours out of the saddle in the last twenty-four, and it requires something more of rest, if I desire to do well what I have on hand—­what, indeed, we both have on hand.”

There was something apologetic in the manner, if not in the language, of the speaker; and his words seemed to indicate, if possible, an excuse for the incoherence of his address, in the physical fatigue which he had undergone—­in this way to divert suspicion from those mental causes of excitement, of which, in the present situation, he felt somewhat ashamed.  Pouring out a glass of liquor, and quaffing it without pause, he motioned to the lieutenant to do the same—­a suggestion not possible for that person to misunderstand—­and then proceeded to narrate such portions of the late occurrences in and about the village as it was necessary he should know.  He carefully suppressed his own agency in any of these events, for, with the policy of the ancient, he had learned, at an early period in his life, to treat his friend as if he might one day become his enemy; and, so far as such a resolution might consistently be maintained, while engaged in such an occupation as his, he rigidly observed it.

“The business, Dillon, which I want you to execute, and to which you will give all your attention, is difficult and troublesome, and requires ingenuity.  Mark Forrester was killed last night, as is supposed, in a fray with a youth named Colleton, like himself a Carolinian.  If such is not the opinion yet, I am determined such shall be the opinion; and have made arrangements by which the object will be attained.  Of course the murderer should be taken, and I have reasons to desire that this object too should be attained.  It is on this business, then, that you are to go.  You must be the officer to take him.”

“But where is he? if within reach, you know there is no difficulty.”

“Hear me; there is difficulty though he is within reach.  He is one of the men whom you found with the old farmer you would otherwise have attacked last night.  There is difficulty, for he will fight like a wild beast, and stick to his ground like a rattlesnake; and, supported by the old fellow whom you found him with, he will be able to resist almost any force which you could muster on the emergency.  The only fear I have is, that being well-mounted, he will not keep with the company, but as they must needs travel slowly, he will go on and leave them.”

“Should it not rather be a source of satisfaction than otherwise—­will it not put him more completely at our disposal?”