IN THE SHADOW
in his dry way, 'Yes; for them!' Do you know, I believe that he would have done for the last one of them if they had tried to stop him. Dangerous chaps, the quiet kind like Leyden—what?"
Virginia's face glowed. Perhaps it was fortunate for Giles that she had placed her affections before Leyden had come into her life; also that the naturalist was not twenty years younger,—but that is hardly fair.
"They waded all of the way from the swamp, over a mile, waist deep, in the canal of the closed reserve, then crossed into the Long Acre Canal, through the back sluice which cuts Turkey Island. There Leyden carried Dessalines across the road to the North Plantation, and from that place they waded through the salt marsh until they reached the cut-off. They waded up that to the mill, and will you believe it, Virginia, Leyden actually carried Dessalines on his back from the cut-off to the house. It must be half a mile; yet he didn't appear blown. Who would ever suspect that he was such a tremendous athlete?"
"He is not," said Virginia, "he is simply a naturally powerful man; an athlete would have needed a cinder track."
Giles stared. Sometimes Virginia puzzled him.
"Oh, I say, you're chaffing!" he began.
"So I am. Never mind, dear old pink-and-white!" and she gave him a kiss which puzzled him tremendously.
They spent a rather nervous morning; Dessalines still slept. As they were lunching, one of the house maids came breathlessly to the door of the dining room.
"Oh, Miss Faginny!" she gasped, "dey all white men a-gallupin' up de road wiv guns!"
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