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Withers；〃　and　the　sheriff　ran　forward。　　Two　rifles　were　protruded

through　the　loopholes。　　Vincent　and　his　companions　fired　at　once。　

One　of　the　rifles　gave　a　sharp　jerk　and　disappeared；　the　other　was

fired；　and　Withers　dropped　his　axe；　but　still　ran　forward。　　Tho

sheriff　began　an　onslaught　at　the　door；　his　companion's　right　arm

being　useless。　　A　minute　later　the　sharp　crack　of　rifles　was　heard　in

the　rear；　and　the　sheriff　and　two　men　rushed　in　that　direction；

while　Vincent　and　the　other　lay　watching　the　door。　　Scarcely　had

the　sheriff's　party　disappeared　round　the　house　than　the　door　was

thrown　open；　and　Pearson　ran　out　at　full　speed。　　Vincent　leaped　to

his　feet。



〃Surrender；〃　he　said；　〃or　you　are　a　dead　man。〃



Jonas　paused　for　a　moment　with　a　loud　imprecation；　and　then

leveling　a　revolver；　fired。　　Vincent　felt　a　moment's　pain　in　the

cheek；　but　before　he　could　level　his　rifle　his　companion　fired；　and

Pearson　fell　forward　dead。　A　minute　later　the　sheriff　and　his　party

ran　round。



〃Have　you　got　him？〃　ho　asked。



〃He　will　give　no　more　trouble；　sheriff；〃　the　young　man　who　fired

said。　　〃I　fancy　I　had　him　plum　between　the　eyes。　　How　about　the

others？〃



〃Dick　Matheson　is　killed；　he　got　two　bullets　in　his　body。　The　other

man　is　badly　wounded。　　There　are　no　signs　of　old　Porter。〃



They　now　advanced　to　the　door；　which　stood　open。　　As　the　sheriff

entered　there　was　a　sharp　report；　and　he　fell　back　shot　through　the

heart。　　The　rest　made　a　rush　forward。　　Another　shot　was　fired；　but

this　missed　them；　and　before　it　could　be　repeated　they　had　wrested

the　pistol　from　the　hand　of　Matheson's　wife。　　She　was　firmly

secured；　and　they　then　entered　the　kitchen；　where；　crouched　upon

the　floor；　lay　some　seven　or　eight　negro　men　and　women　in　an

agony　of　terror。　　Vincent's　question；　〃Dinah；　where　are　you？〃　was

answered　by　a　scream　of　delight；　and　Dinah；　who　had　been

covering　her　child　with　her　body；　leaped　to　her　feet。



〃It's　all　right；　Dinah；〃　Vincent　said；　〃but　stay　here；　we　haven't

finished　this　business　yet。〃



　〃I　fancy　the　old　man's　upstairs；〃　one　of　the　men　said。　〃It　was　his

rifle；　I　reckon；　that　disappeared　when　we　fired。〃



It　was　as　he　expected。　　Porter　was　found　dead　behind　the　loophole；

a　bullet　having　passed　through　his　brain。　The　deputy…sheriff；　who

was　with　the　party；　now　took　the　command。　　A　cart　and　horse　were

found　in　an　out…building；　in　these　the　wounded　man；　who　was　one

of　those　who　had　taken　part　in　the　abduction　of　Dinah；　was　placed；

together　with　the　female　prisoner　and　the　dead　body　of　the　sheriff。　

The　negroes　were　told　to　follow；　and　the　horses　having　been

fetched　the　party　mounted　and　rode　off　to　the　next　village；　five

miles　on　their　way　back。　　Here　they　halted　for　the　night；　and　the

next　day　went　on　to　Marion　Courthouse；　Vincent　hiring　a　cart　for

the　conveyance　of　Dinah　and　the　other　women。　　It　was　settled　that

Vincent's　attendance　at　the　trial　of　the　two　prisoners　would　not　be

necessary；　as　the　man　would　be　tried　for　armed　resistance　to　the

law；　and　the　woman　for　murdering　the　sheriff。　　The　facts　could　be

proved　by　other　witnesses；　and　as　there　could　be　no　doubt　about

obtaining　convictions；　it　would　be　unnecessary　to　try　the　charge

against　the　man　for　kidnaping。　　Next　day；　accordingly；　Vincent

started　with　Dinah　and　Dan　for　Richmond。　　Two　months　afterward

he　saw　in　the　paper　that　Jane　Matheson　had　been　sentenced　to

imprisonment　for　life；　the　man　to　fourteen　years。



CHAPTER　XVII。　CHANCELLORSVILLE。



　THE　NEWS　of　the　fight　between　the　sheriff's　posse　and　the　band

at　Lynch's　Creek　was　telegraphed　to　the　Richmond　papers　by　their

local　agent　upon　the　day　after　it　occurred。　　The　report　said　that

Captain　Wingfield；　a　young　officer　who　had　frequently

distinguished　himself；　had　followed　the　traces　of　a　gang；　one　of

whom　was　a　notorious　criminal　who　had　evaded　the　pursuit　of　the

law　and　escaped　from　that　section　fifteen　years　ago；　and　had；

under　an　assumed　name；　been　acting　as　overseer　at　Mrs。

Wingfleld's　estate　of　the　Orangery。　　These　men　had　carried　off　a

negress　belonging　to　Mrs。　Wingfleld；　and　had　taken　her　down

South。　　Captain　Wingfleld；　having　obtained　the　asistance　of　the

sheriff　with　a　posse　of　determined　men；　rode　to　the　place　which

served　as　headquarters　for　the　gang。　Upon　being　summoned　to

surrender　the　men　opened　a　fire　upon　the　sheriff　and　his　posse。　　A

sharp　fight　ensued；　in　which　the　sheriff　was　killed　and　one　of　his

men　wounded；　while　the　four　members　of　the　gang　were　either

killed　or　taken　prisoners。　　It　was　reported　that　a　person　occupying　a

position　as　a　planter　in　the　neighborhood　of　Richmond　is

connected　with　this　gang。



The　reporter　had　obtained　his　news　from　Vincent；　who　had

purposely　refrained　from　mentioning　the　names　of　those　who　had

fallen。　　He　had　already　had　a　conversation　with　the　wounded

prisoner。　　The　latter　had　declared　that　he　had　simply　acted　in　the

affair　as　he　had　been　paid　to　do　by　the　man　ho　knew　in　Richmond

as　Pearson；　who　told　him　that　he　wanted　him　to　aid　in　carrying　off

a　slave　woman；　who　was　really　his　property；　but　had　been

fraudulently　taken　from　him。　　He　had　heard　him　say　that　there　was

another　interested　in　the　affair；　who　had　his　own　reasons　for

getting　the　woman　out　of　the　way；　and　had　paid　handsomely　for

the　job。　Who　that　other　was　Pearson　had　never　mentioned。



Vincent　saw　that　he　had　no　absolute　evidence　against　Jackson；　and

therefore　purposely　suppressed　the　fact　that　Pearson　was　among

the　killed　in　hopes　that　the　paragraph　would　so　alarm　Jackson　that

he　would　at　once　decamp。　His　anticipations　were　entirely　justified；

for　upon　the　day　of　his　return　to　Richmond　he　saw　a　notice　in　the

paper　that　the　Cedars；　with　its　field　hands；　houses；　and　all

belonging　to　it；　was　for　sale。　　He　proceeded　at　once　to　the　estate

agent；　and　learned　from　him　that　Jackson　had　come　in　two　days

before　and　had　informed　him　that　sudden　and　important　business

had　called　him　away；　and　that　he　was　starting　at　once　for　New

York；　where　his　presence　was　urgently　required；　and　that　he　should

attempt　to　get　through　the　lines　immediately。　　He　had　asked　him

what　he　thought　the　property　and　slaves　would　fetch。　　Being

acquainted　with　the　estate；　he　had　given　him　a　rough　estimate；　and

had；　upon　Jackson's　giving　him　full　power　to　sell；　advanced　him

two。thirds　of　the　sum。　　Jackson　had　apparently　started　at　once；

indeed；　he　had　told　him　that　he　should　take　the　next　train　as　far

North　as　he　could　get。



Vincent　received　the　news　with　great　satisfaction。　　He　had　little

doubt　that　Jackson　had　really　made　down　to　the　South；　and　that　he

would　try　to　cross　the　lines　there；　his　statement　that　he　intended　to

go　direct　North　being　merely　intended　to　throw　his　pursuers　off　his

track　should　a　warrant　be　issued　against　him。　　However；　it

mattered　little　which　way　Jackson　had　gone；　so　that　he　had　left　the

State。



There　was　little　chance　of　his　ever　returning；　for　even　when　he

learned　that　his　confederate　in　the　business　had　been　killed　in　the

fight；　he　could　not　be　certain　that　the　prisoner　who　had　been　taken

was　not　aware　of　the　share　he　had　in　the　business。



A　fortnight　later　Vincent　went　down　into　Georgia　and　brought

back　Lucy　Kingston　for　a　visit　to　his　mother。　She　had　already

received　a　letter　from　her　father　in　reply　to　one　she　had　written

after　reaching　her　aunt's　protection；　saying　how　delighted　he　was

to　hear　that　she　had　crossed　the　lines；　for　that　he　had　suffered　the

greatest　anxiety　concerning　her；　and　had　continually　reproached

himself　for　not　sending　her　away　sooner。　　He　said　that　he　was

much　pleased　with　her　engagement　to　Captain　Wingfield；　whom

he　did　not　know　personally；　but　of　whom　he　heard　the　most

favorable　reports　from　various　Virginian　gentlemen　to　whom　he

had　spoken　since　the　receipt　of　her　letter。



Lucy　remained　at　Richmond　until　the　beginning　of　March；　when

Vincent　took　her　home　to　Georgia　again；　and　a　week　after　his

return　rejoined　the　army　on　the　Rappahaunock。　　Every　effort　had

been　made　by　the　Confederate　authorities　to　raise　the　army　of

General　Lee　to　a　point　that　would　enable　him　to　cope　with　the

tremendous　force　the　enemy　were　collecting　for　the　ensuing

campaign。　The　drain　of　men　was　now　telling　terribly；　and　Lee　had

at　the　utmost　40；000　to　oppose　the　160；000　collected　under

General　Hooker。



The　first　fight　of　the　campaign　had　already　taken　place　when

Vincent　rejoined　the　army。　　A　body　of　3；000　Federal　cavalry　had

crossed　the　river　on　the　17th　of　March　at　Kelley's　Ford；　but　had

been　met　by　General　Fitz　Lee　with　about　800　cavalry；　and　after　a

long　and　stubborn　conflict　had　been　driven　back　with　heavy　loss

across　the　river。　It　was　not　until　the　middle　of　April　that　the　enemy

began　to　move　in　earnest。　　Every　ford　was　watched　by　Stuart's　

cavalry；　and　the　frequent　attempts　made　by　the　Federal　horse　to

push　across　to　obtain　information　were　always　defe