They went out into the hail. It was empty, but through the open doors voices sounded from the porch at the back of the house. Another moment and Major Edward appeared, stood still at the sight of Cary, then came on up the hall to meet the two. He looked intensely grey and meagre, and his thin lips twitched. "Fairfax," he said,--"Fairfax, look here--" The other, who had been laughing, grew suddenly grave. "I have never heard you, sir, use a voice like that. Has anything happened?" Major Edward made a little noise in his throat, then stiffened himself as if on parade. "There may have been an accident. It looks that way, Fair. It was Eli who came." "Eli! What has happened at Greenwood? Ludwell's home? "Unity, my dear," said the Major, "let him come with me. Let's go into the library, Fair." But Fairfax Cary was halfway down the hail. The Major hastened after him, and at the porch door laid a thin old hand upon the other's arm. "Fair, my boy, you are going to need all a man's courage. Think of Dick and me as of Fauquier Cary's--as of your father's--old, old friend Come, now." They found on the square porch at the back of the house, Colonel Churchill, the negro Eli, and a white man, roughly dressed. The first, seated on the steps, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands, looked up with a gasp. "Fair, Fair--" Cary spoke with steadiness "What has brought you here, Eli? Mr. Ludwell came home last night?" Eli, trembling violently, and of the ashen hue that a negro takes in terror, tried to answer, but at first there came only jabbered and meaningless words. He fell on his knees, and finally became coherent. "Marse Fair--Marse Fair--ain' I done lif' you bofe in dese ahms w'en you wuz jes' little fellers--he er lot de oldes' an' you nuttin' but er baby, toddlin' after him eberywhar he went! Ain' I done ride behin' you bofe dese yeahs an' yeahs? Oh, Gawd-a-moughty! O Lawd, hab mercy--" Cary took him by the shoulder. "Eli, stop that crying out and tell me at once what is the matter! What has happened to Mr. Ludwell?" "I'll tell you, Fair," answered the Major, in a shaking voice. "The negro can't do it. Ludwell did not come home last night, and this morning James Wilson, here, found Saladin--" "Far up the river road, near my house," said the man upon the steps. "'Twas just about daybreak. I didn't know, sir, whose horse he was, so I put him in my stable. Then my son and me and Joe White, a neighbour of mine, we set out down the river road." "Oh, _my_ young marster! Oh, _my_ young marster!" wailed Eli. "De kindes' an' de bes'! Oh, Lawd hab mercy!" "It was just dawn, sir, and we went down the road--we were on horseback--quite a good bit of miles. There wasn't any sign until we came to where Indian Run crosses the road; but on the further side, where there's a strip of rocks, you know, sir--" The speaker stopped short. "They found him there, Fair," finished Major Edward.