Mrs. Purvine breathed more freely. She had a vague memory of hearing a man hallooing at the fence, and of seeing Jerry running to meet him; the rest was lost in the deep slumber which she called “dozin’ off,” as she sat sentinel in front of the door. “I mus’ hev been noddin’,” she said, trembling again at the idea that the sheriff and the prisoner had been at such close quarters. “I never hearn none o’ it.” “Waal,” explained Jerry, “he hed traced Mink up somewhar nighabouts. An’ he war mighty keen ter ketch him. He ’lowed Mink war a turrible fool ter hev runned off, kase they hedn’t lef’ Glaston more’n two hours ’fore Mink’s pardon kem. Jedge Gwinnan hed gone an’ beset the gov’nor, an’ tole him ’twar a plumb mistake, an’ Mink warn’t no reg’lar jail-bird, nor hardened critter, nor nuthin’ but a simple country boy. An’ he’d hed a reg’lar martyrdom o’ injestice, an’ sech. An’ the ’sault war jes’ a boy’s hittin’ a feller ez he ’lowed war gittin’ the better o’ him. ’Twarn’t ’count o’ the trial. He war jes’ jealous. Jedge Gwinnan ’lowed ez the fight war mighty onfair, kase Mink war chained an’ he warn’t. An’ he wouldn’t hev let him be prosecuted ef he could hev knowed it in time ter hev holped it. An’ ez Mink’s case hed been affirmed by the S’preme Court the gov’nor pardoned him. Skeggs ’lowed folks say the gov’nor war right down glad ter do it, kase he hev hed ter be toler’ble hard on some folks lately ez applied fur pardons; an’ he war glad Mink’s case kem along, kase he didn’t want ter git onpop’lar, an’ ter ’pear set agin mercy ez a constancy.” “Waal! waal!” exclaimed Mrs. Purvine, divided between surprise and an effort to gauge the effect of this intelligence on the prisoner listening in the little room. “Skeggs ’lowed ’twar mighty mean in Mink ter hide out an’ leave him ter ketch all the consequences,—he air ’sponsible fur the ’scape,—kase they don’t want Mink fur nuthin’ now but that thar leetle case ’bout’n the mill, an’ everybody knows Tad ain’t dead, an’ Mink never bust down the mill nohow. Mr. Harshaw ’lows he seen Tad when he war huntin’ up in the mountings. An’ Lethe, she seen him. An’ Skeggs air honin’ an’ moanin’ ’bout’n it, an’ ’lows Mink mought kem an’ be tried, ef he hed the feelins o’ a man stiddier a mink.” Mrs. Purvine rose slowly, and bent her meditative steps toward the door, wondering all the more why Mink should have disappeared so mysteriously, cognizant as he must have been of how his dangers had lessened, whither he had gone, with what purpose. “Aunt Dely,” said Jerry, suddenly, following her slowly, “how did ye know ennything ’bout Mink, ef ye never hearn Skeggs tell it?” “Jerry Price,” said Mrs. Purvine, sternly, “ef ye hed been raised by yer aunt Melindy Jane, I’ll be bound ye’d hev larned better’n ter ax fool questions with every breath ye draw.” XXVIII.