I bid you good even, Sir," and,
once more curtsying, the girl went up the path to the house, much to
her uncle Jahleel's relief, who had no taste for badinage, and wanted
to get on to the store, whither, presently he was on his way, while
Sedgwick's carriage rolled off toward Boston.
About a mile out of Stockbridge, the carriage passed two men standing
by the roadside, earnestly talking. These men were Perez Hamlin and
Abner Rathbun.
"You remember the Ice-hole," said Perez, referring to an extraordinary
cleft or chasm, of great depth, and extremely difficult and perilous
of access, situated near the top of Little Mountain, a short distance
from Stockbridge.
"Yes," said Abner, "I rekullec it, well. I guess you an I, Perez, air
abaout the on'y fellers in taown, ez hev been clean through it."
"My plan is this," said Perez. "Kidnap Deacon Nash, carry him up to
the Ice-hole, and keep him there till he makes out a release for Reub,
then just carry down the paper to jail, get Reub out, and across the
York State line, and send back word to Stockbridge where to find the
deacon."
"But what'll we dew, ourselves?"
"Of course we shall have to stay in York. Why shouldn't we? There's no
chance for a poor man here.
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