"That would certainly be my best and
pleasantest plan," said Mr. Ackland, "and
really I am much obliged to you for
proposing it. But I suppose I ought to go to
Richmond about those notes."

"No necessity for that, I think,"
answered Cartwright. "At least if you are
in a hurry. At the next stage after you join
the coach, you will be obliged to stop the
greater part of the morning. I know a very
respectable banker whose office is close to
the hotel where you change horses and dine.
I will give you a line to him if you like,
and you can change the notes there."

"You are most kind, my dear friend,
and I cannot sufficiently thank you. But
do you think it would be safe to carry
such a large sum in notes so far?"

"If you carry them about your person,
yes. Luggage sometimes gets
mislaid; but you need not be afraid of robbers.
Our roads are not so unsafe as all that,
Mr. Ackland, sir. I have travelled all
across this country, sir, on horseback without
ever having any misadventure, and
once you are out of the plantation you
have only a few miles between you and the
coach. By the way, let me lend you my
travelling belt."

"Then, indeed," said John Ackland, "if
it does not seriously inconvenience you,
I shall gladly accept your kind offer. For
I confess that even your hospitality—-"

"Yes, yes!" said Cartwright, "I
understand. And greatly as I regret this
departure, I cannot press you to stay. There
will be no inconvenience at all, and I will
at once give orders about your luggage."

After dinner, when John Ackland and
his host were mounting their horses, "We
shall have a cool ride, I think," said
Cartwright, "and there's plenty of time, so
that we can take it easy. I shouldn't
wonder if we put up some game as we go
along. We had better take our guns with
us."

"I'm not much of a sportsman, I'm
afraid," said John Ackland, with his
customary blush.

"Oh," laughed the other, "I dare say
you are a better shot than I. You
Northerners are such modest gentlemen. Any
how, there's no harm in having out the
guns. You see they are in nobody's way.
That's how we sling 'em in our country,
rough but handy. Now then."

"Good- bye to Glenoak," said John
Ackland, rather sadly, looking up at the house
and waving his hand. His melancholy had
been excessive during the whole day.

"Not good-bye altogether, I hope," said
Cartwright.

And off they started.

                  CHAPTER III.

IT was not yet dark when Cartwright
returned alone to Glenoak. He found
Judge Griffin, assisted by the betting young
gentleman, working his way through a
bottle of brandy and a box of cigars in the
arbour.

"Well, Cartwright," said the judge, "I
suppose your friend's off, eh?"

"Yes. Poor old Ackland! Good fellow
as ever lived. I shall quite miss him."

"Very amiable man," said the judge.

"Bet you a pony, Cartwright," said the
betting young gentleman.

"What on? Here, you black block-head,
bring another bottle of brandy, ice,
and soda-water. And look alive, do you
hear? 'Gad, sir, I've swallowed a bushel
of dust, and am as dry as mud in a brick-
kiln."

"Bet you," resumed the betting young
gentleman, "that the Yankee don't reach
the coach to-night. Bet you, anyhow, he'll
come to grief."

"What do you mean?" said Cartwright,
sharply.

"Well, sir," responded that promising
youth, "I reckon you should never have
set him on that black mare of yours."

"Pooh," said Cartwright, "the mare's
as quiet as a mouse."

"If you know how to ride her; but he
don't. Very queer seat, that Yankee. Now
she has him to herself, if she puts her head
down he'll have no more chance with her, I
reckon, than a cat in hell without claws,"
said the betting young gentleman,
apparently much pleased with the originality
and elegance of that striking figure of
speech.

"I tell you the mare's as quiet as a
mouse," growled Cartwright. "Pray do
you suppose, my young friend, that your
remarkable facility for falling head-foremost
off the back of any four-legged animal can
be acquired without very pe-cu-liar practice?
You've been practising it yourself a
good long time, you know."

The betting young gentleman, not finding
any sufficiently expressive retort in the
ready-made idiom of his native tongue, was
carefully preparing one, when the judge
interposed with,

"Find any game, Cartwright?"

"No," said Cartwright, " not to speak of.
I had only one shot, and Ackland none."