offered to watch with Mr. Bigglethorpe on the lake shore.  Thereupon, the three members of that gallant family withdrew to the lake, and, while one boarded the scow and helped his father and younger brother, under the Captain’s directions, to paddle home, the others hailed the fisherman and asked if he was going to remain.  “I’m here for the night, boys,” replied the man of the rod.  “I’ll turn up that skiff against the wind and dew, light a fire by the water, and, early in the morning, have the loveliest bass fishing I’ve had for many a day.  Oh yes, I’m here.  D’ye see my gun lying about anywhere?” Mr. Bigglethorpe’s gun was found, and deposited in the skiff.  While this was going on below, Ben Toner harnessed up a team, hitched them to a waggon, for which he found seats by depriving other waggons of their boxes, and prepared to take the wounded dominie, his affectionate friend, the colonel, with Serlizer and the woman Flower, to Bridesdale.  The last named person insisted upon going at once to see the dead body of Harding.  The two stone-cutters also asked to be allowed to accompany the two props of the encampment boarding house.  Mr. Hill rode the colonel’s horse, and the Squire, that of the detective.  Along the once masked, but now unmasked, road, the procession of waggon, horsemen, and footmen, passed, waving a farewell to the allies of Mr. Bangs who held the fort.  It should be added that Sylvanus accompanied them as far as the Richards’ place, to obtain the Captain’s permission for his volunteering, and to bring the borrowed waggon back.

At Richards’ the waggons were brought out.  One was devoted to the two injured men, the dominie and the doctor, with their attendants, the colonel and the Captain, and Barney Sullivan as driver.  The other was driven by Ben, with Serlizer beside him.  It also contained the woman Flower, Mr. Errol, Mr. Lajeunesse, and Mr. Hislop.  The cavalry, consisting of Squire Walker in command, Mr. Perrowne, Carruthers, Hill, and Maguffin, trotted forward, and the infantry and prisoners, comprising Tom Rigby, who turned up at the Lake Settlement, and the two masons, followed in the rear.  The constable was angry; he had lost his prisoners of the morning.  Having arrived at Mr. Newberry’s hospitable house, and being asked to take some refreshments, which, esteeming the objects of his care to be simple souls, he had no hesitation in doing, he was amazed, on his return to the waggon, to find his captives gone.  At once he started in pursuit, but, up to the time of his arrival at the Lake Settlement, he had seen no trace of the fugitives.  Accordingly, the corporal made the present life of the two stone cutters a burden.  He searched them for concealed weapons, and confiscated the innocent pocket knives with which they shred their plug tobacco; he forbade them to smoke; and, finally, tied the left hand of the one to the right of the other to prevent their running away, of which they disclaimed any intention.  The cavalry came first