Two miles out of the village they came to a roadside spring, here they paused for an instant. Mahaffy scooped up handfuls of the clear water and sucked it down greedily. The judge dropped on his stomach and buried his face in the tiny pool, gulping up great thirsty swallows. After a long breathless instant he stood erect, with drops of moisture clinging to his nose and eyebrows. Mahaffy was a dozen paces down the road, hurrying forward again with relentless vigor. The judge shuffled after him. The tracks they left in the dust crossed and re-crossed the road, but presently the slanting lines of their advance straightened, the judge gained and held a fixed place at Mahaffy's right, a step or so in the rear. His oppulent fancy began to deal with the situation. “If anything happens to the child, the man responsible for it would better never been born--I'll pursue him with undiminished energy from this moment forth!” he panted. “What could happen to him, Price?” asked Mahaffy. “God knows, poor little lad!” “Will you shut up!” cried Mahaffy savagely. “Solomon!” “Why do you go building on that idea? Why should any one harm him--what earthly purpose--” “I tell you, Solomon, we are the pivotal point in a vast circle of crime. This is a blow at me--this is revenge, sir, neither more nor less! They have struck at me through the boy, it is as plain as day.” “What did the overseer say?” “Just that they found Miss Malroy gone from Belle Plain this morning, and the boy with her.” “This is like you, Price! How do you know they haven't spent the night at some neighbor's?” “The nearest neighbor is five or six miles distant. Miss Malroy and Hannibal were seen along about dusk in the grounds at Belle Plain, do you mean to tell me you consider it likely that they set out on foot at that hour, and without a word to any one, to make a visit?” inquired the judge; but Mahaffy did not contend for this point. “What are you going to do first, Price?” “Have a look over the grounds, and talk with the slaves.” “Where's the brother--wasn't he at Belle Plain last night?” “It seems he went to Memphis yesterday.” They plodded forward in silence; now and again they were passed by some man on horseback whose destination was the same as their own, and then at last they caught sight of Belle Plain in its grove of trees. All work on the plantation had stopped, and the hundreds of slaves--men, women and children--were gathered about the house. Among these moved the members of the dominant race. The judge would have attached himself to the first group, but he heard a whispered question, and the answer, “Miss Malroy's lawyer.” Clearly it was not for him to mix with these outsiders, these curiosity seekers. He crossed the lawn to the house, and mounted the steps. In the doorway was big Steve, while groups of men stood about in the hall, the hum of busy purposeless talk pervading the place. The judge frowned. This was all wrong.