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The Vigilants were about to follow the example of their leader, and dismount when there came a wheedling voice apparently the voice of a negress from within the cabin. "What you gemmen want dis time o' night wid poor Aunty Dinah?" "A nigger's living here," muttered the leader, in surprise. "What for you gwyne to disturb an ole niggah at dis hour?" asked the voice from within.
George soon crept carefully in, and proceeded, in as low a voice as he could command, to tell the two men what he had heard from the kitchen. "The Vigilants!" whispered Watson. "Why, don't you know what that means? When we were in Jasper to-day I saw some of them standing around the village grocery store, and even talked with them.
"You have sent word to the Jasper Vigilants to ride over here and arrest us, on the suspicion of being spies." Had the heavens suddenly fallen, the countenances of the Hares could not have shown more dismay. "How did you find that out?" asked the farmer, quite forgetting to play his part of amiable host. "Never mind how," cried George, who was burning to play his part.
"Ye ain't seein' him at his best, mister! He's bin drinkin' too much, and this yer news has upset him." "What news?" asked Breeze. "This yer suicide o' Irish Jack!" "Was he his friend?" "Friend?" ejaculated the man, horrified at the mere suggestion. "Not much! Why, Irish Jack was the only man that could hev hung Jim! Now he's dead, in course the Vigilants ain't got no proof agin Jim.
This document was signed, "The Vigilants," and naturally created considerable stir and excitement among the parties at whom it was directed, and many of them took the warning and departed; but some of the more desperate, in all about twenty in number, banded themselves together under the leadership of Reid, and swore that they would never leave town, except of their own free will, and defied the Vigilants to touch any one of their number.
"Go away, fellows," he called, "You know I ain't got nothing for you." A jeer, and a few sarcastic groans greeted this remark. "I always reckoned you was a skinflint," yelled one of the party. There was a derisive cheer at this sally. Then, at a word of command, the Vigilants turned their horses and cantered back towards Jasper. The sound of hoofs became fainter and fainter.
There was a half-stifled cry from Mrs. Hare, but she apparently made no effort to detain him. "The Vigilants! Oh! the Vigilants!" she repeated, in accents of distress. "The sooner we get out of this the better for our necks," thought George. He had no sense of fear; he was only filled with one consuming idea. He must get word to his two companions, and at once.
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