The black continued his course for about four miles until a deep hollow hid him from George.  Arrived here he instantly took a line nearly opposite to his first, and when he had gone about three miles on this tack he began to examine the ground attentively and to run about like a hound.  After near half an hour of this he fell upon some tracks and followed them at an easy trot across the country for miles and miles, his eye keenly bent upon the ground.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

OUR story has to follow a little way an infinitesimal personage.

Abner, the ungratefulish one, with a bundle tied up in a handkerchief, strode stoutly away toward Mr. Meredith’s grazing ground.  “I am well out of that place,” was his reflection.  As he had been only once over the ground before, he did not venture to relax his pace lest night should overtake him in a strange part.  He stepped out so well that just before the sun set he reached the head of a broad valley that was all Meredith’s.  About three miles off glittered a white mansion set in a sea of pasture, studded with cattle instead of sails.  “Ay! ay!” thought the ungratefulish one, no fear of the scab breaking up this master—­“I’m all right now.”  As he chuckled over his prospects a dusky figure stole noiselessly from a little thicket—­an arm was raised behind him—­crosssh! a hard weapon came down on his skull, and he lay on his face with the blood trickling from his mouth and ears.

CHAPTER XL.

HE who a few months ago was so lighthearted and bright with hope now rose at daybreak for a work of Herculean toil as usual, but no longer with the spirit that makes labor light.  The same strength, the same dogged perseverance were there, but the sense of lost money, lost time, and invincible ill-luck oppressed him; then, too, he was alone—­everything had deserted him but misfortune.

“I have left my Susan and I have lost her—­left the only friend I had or ever shall have in this hard world.”  This was his constant thought, as doggedly but hopelessly he struggled against the pestilence.  Single-handed and leaden-hearted he had to catch a sheep, to fling her down, to hold her down, to rub the ointment into her, and to catch another that had been rubbed yesterday and take her to the pool and fling her in and keep her in till every part of her skin was soaked.

Four hours of this drudgery had George gone through single-handed and leaden-hearted, when as he knelt over a kicking, struggling sheep, he became conscious of something gliding between him and the sun; he looked up and there was Jacky grinning.

George uttered an exclamation:  “What, come back!  Well, now that is very good of you I call.  How do you do?” and he gave him a great shake of the hand.

“Jacky very well, Jacky not at all uncomfortable after him hunt a little.”