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"Never fear, friends," said Mr McDermont, when the subject was spoken of, "I'll keep an eye on the proceedings of the gentleman, and if I hear of any suspicious characters going in the direction you are travelling, I'll dodge their steps and come to your assistance. They'll not follow you far, if they follow at all, so I don't think that you need have much fear of being troubled by them."
"Are you in earnest, Mr McDermont?" asked my father; "if you are, and would like to buy Uphill, I will consider the matter. I had no thoughts of leaving the place, but circumstances may occur which might induce me to part with it." "Never was more in earnest in my life," said our guest.
Our uncle was a man of action, and observing that he should give Mr Bracher a wide berth, and promising to return in a few days, at once set about making preparations for a start. Mr McDermont was ready to purchase the furniture and everything we did not require.
I cannot repeat all he said, but he finally succeeded in inducing Mr McDermont to invest in a small allotment with the right of purchasing as much more of the surrounding country as he could desire. Had it not been for Dio, my father or uncle would have accompanied him, but they were unwilling to leave Uphill while there was a risk of annoyance from the slave-hunters.
It was finally arranged that Mr McDermont should set out with Peter, who was well used to travelling, and would be of great assistance to him. Mr Chouse had given him maps of the country and a plan of the township, so that he would have no difficulty in finding the location of which he had become the happy possessor for the sum of two hundred dollars, which had been paid into the agent's hands.
Should he now permit them to enter, they would naturally conclude that the slave had been concealed in the house, though he had now made good his escape. We did not expect to see Mr Tidey for some time, should he have succeeded in conveying Dio to a safe asylum, nor was it likely that Mr McDermont would return until he had made arrangements for locating himself on his new purchase.
Uncle Denis did his best to reassure her, saying that he did not think Mr Bracher would venture on any act of violence, but promising to stay some time at Uphill, until Mr McDermont had settled in the neighbourhood. The first thing now to be done was to send poor Dio away, as my father had previously intended.
As Mr McDermont and Peter set off in one direction, the agent departed in another, observing, "that he had a round to make, and would rejoin Mr McDermont at Swampyville." We had some hope that Peter being seen to leave Uphill might mislead any of the Kentuckians who were on the watch; that should they follow him, Dio might have a better opportunity of escaping.
We had all been born there, and she and all of us were attached to the place. Mr McDermont appeared to be in no great hurry, and told my father that he would give him a week to decide. That very evening as we were sitting down to supper, a knock was heard at the door, which was kept barred and bolted since the visit from the Kentuckians.
He introduced himself as Mr Nicholas Chouse, agent for the Swampyville Land Company. In the most glowing terms he described the new township which had been lately formed in the north-west part of the state, advising my father and Mr McDermont to become purchasers of the finest allotments which he had to offer for sale.
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