"We 'll soon have that husband of yours and his boys where all the reportin' you want to do won't count for much. Ye might send down now to the sugar-houses in New York an' ask some o' your friends to come up and help."
Without waiting for a reply Brown directed two of his men to go up into the loft and one to go down into the cellar, while he himself at once began to search the rooms on the first floor of the house. Boards were torn up from the floor, closets were opened, barrels broken, and every conceivable hiding-place was inspected, but not a trace of the man for whom they were searching could be found.
"I hope you are satisfied now," said Hannah tartly, when the men all assembled in the room where she was standing.
"Satisfied he's not in the house," replied Brown grimly. "But, my lady, there's other places that need lookin' into, too. Go down t' the barn," he said sharply to two of his men. "Jim and I 'll take a look at the chicken-coop and the smoke-house."
"Don't you want me to show you the way?" demanded Hannah.
Brown did not reply as he and his men de-
