“I want that paper,” answered Sheldon, sullenly and with determination. There was also another quality in the thick tones--could it be fright? Herbert was wholly mystified. “What paper?” “The paper the girl got from Old Mammy. Mammy’s holdin’ it up to tease me! Mammy’s crazy; what she says won’t go, but we want the paper.” “I don’t know anything about a paper.” “You lie!” cried Sheldon. A little of the blood returned to Herbert’s heart. He squared his shoulders. “I do not lie!” “You’ve got it hidden somewhere to make trouble. Fork it out! We won’t make no trouble for them that makes no trouble for us. She got the road-maker to help her; one of them writ his name on it. Mammy brags about it.” Herbert was completely bewildered. “I know nothing about it.” “Well, then, you come with me an’ perhaps you’ll learn something.” “My horse is tied over there.” “Don’t worry about your horse. Come on.” Herbert obeyed. There was no question as to the seriousness of Sheldon’s intentions and there was no question about the deadly power of his loaded gun. He led the way slowly and cautiously down through the woods toward the house. Did he mean to corral Elizabeth also? Even in his terror and despair Herbert hoped that Elizabeth was not at home. Surely she could have no paper which belonged to these desperadoes! Before they reached the edge of the woods where they could look out on the old house, two men met them. One was a shorter man than Sheldon with glowering eyes and a black beard which made him look like a pirate. Elizabeth would have recognized him as the “Black Smith” whom Colonel Thomas had described. The other was “Bud.” “She’s went off,” Black Smith announced. “She’s far down the road.” “Come on,” ordered Sheldon. “We’ll find that paper.” He marched Herbert into the kitchen and made him open the doors of the cupboard. Then they went through the house, from cellar to attic. Confident that he would find nothing, Herbert searched thoroughly. Under Elizabeth’s bureau cover, he found the two warning papers. His eyes blazed. “I never saw these. I should think you’d be ashamed of yourselves, big men trying to frighten a girl!” “And a little mammy’s boy!” said Sheldon in an ugly tone. Then Sheldon took from his pocket a stump of a lead pencil and another piece of paper and wrote another bulletin. “She’ll know what to do when she finds that,” said he. “Now march!” Herbert went out the front door and round the house into the woods as he was directed. At the wood’s edge, Black Smith fell in with them; the other remained behind. “What are you going to do with my sister?” demanded Herbert. “I don’t know and I don’t care,” answered Sheldon. “I want the paper, I don’t want your sister. Wishin’ she’d come an’ take care of you, are you, mammy’s boy?” Herbert made no answer. Now Black Smith took a share in the conversation.