"
But this murderous fancy of his failed to interest Betty.
Presently they heard Sherrod and Bunker come up from the shore
with George. Slosson joined them and there was a brief
discussion, then an interval of silence, and the sound of voices
again as the three white men moved back across the field in the
direction of the bayou. There succeeded a period of utter
stillness, both in the cabin and in the clearing, a somber hush
that plunged Betty yet deeper in despair. Wild thoughts assailed
her, thoughts against which she struggled with all the strength
of her will.
In that hour of stress Hannibal was sustained by his faith in the
judge. He saw his patron's powerful and picturesque intelligence
applied to solving the mystery of their disappearance from Belle
Plain; it was inconceivable that this could prove otherwise than
disastrous to Mr. Slosson and he endeavored to share the
confidence he was feeling with Betty, but there was something so
forced and unnatural in the girl's voice and manner when she
discussed his conjectures that he quickly fell into an awed
silence. At last, and it must have been some time after
midnight, troubled slumbers claimed him. No moment of
forgetfulness came to Betty. She was waiting for what--she did
not know! The candle burnt lower and lower and finally went out
and she was left in darkness, but again she was conscious of
sounds from the room below. At first it was only a word or a
sentence, then the guarded speech became a steady monotone that
ran deep into the night; eventually this ceased and Betty fancied
she heard sobs.
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