“There is no time now to explain all this, Miss Rene.  You must accept the bare facts—­will you?”

“Yes—­I—­I suppose I must.”

“Then listen, for you must know that every moment we waste here in talk only makes escape more difficult.  I tell you the simple truth.  I am Steven Knox, an officer in the army.  It chanced I was a passenger on the boat when Judge Beaucaire lost his life.  I witnessed the game of cards this man won, and afterwards, when I protested, was attacked, and flung overboard into the river by Kirby here, and that fellow who is outside guarding the door.  They believe me to be dead; but I managed to reach shore, and was taken care of by a negro—­’Free Pete’ he calls himself; do you know him?”

“Yes—­oh, yes; he was one of the Carlton slaves.”  Her face brightened slightly in its bewilderment.

“Well, I knew enough of what was bound to occur to feel an interest, and tonight he brought me here for the purpose of warning you—­you, your mother, and Eloise Beaucaire.  He has his cart and mule out yonder; we intended to transport you across the river, and thus start you safely on the way to Canada.”

“Then,” she said slowly, seeming to catch at her breath, her voice trembling, “then it must be really true what these men say—­Delia is my mother?  I—­I am a slave?”

“You did not really know.  You were not warned by anyone before their arrival?”

“No, there was no warning.  Did anyone in this neighborhood understand?”

“Haines the lawyer did.  He furnished me with much of the information I possess.  But I am the one puzzled now.  If the truth was not known to any of you, how does it happen the others are gone?”

“So far as I am aware that is merely an accident.  They walked over to the old Carlton place early this evening; there is sickness in the family, and they hoped to be of help.  That is everything I know.  They were to return two hours ago, for I was here all alone, except for the negroes in their quarters.  I cannot conceive what has occurred—­unless they have learned in some way of the trouble here.”

“That must be the explanation; they have hidden themselves.  And these men told you why they came?”

“The only one I saw at first did.  He came in all alone and claimed to be a deputy sheriff.  I was terribly frightened at first, and did not at all understand; but I questioned him and the man liked to talk.  So he told me all he knew.  Perhaps I should have thought he was crazy, only—­only some things had occurred of late which led me to half suspect the truth before.  I—­I wouldn’t believe it then, but—­but I made him repeat everything he had heard.  Horrible as it was, I—­I wanted to know all.”

“And you acknowledged to him that you were Rene Beaucaire?”

Her dark eyes flashed up into my face questioningly.

“Why—­why, of course.  I—­I could not deny that, could I?”