had increased the sense of desolateness that somehow had crept into his heart. It was therefore with a feeling of relief that he perceived before him a clearing, with a little house that was situated on a knoll somewhat back from the roadside. Between the woods and the house the land had been cleared, but stumps and piles of brush disfigured it, and though he peered eagerly before him he was unable to discover any person within sight. He resolved to stop for a moment at the house, and with this thought in his mind he spoke quickly to Nero and prepared to quicken the speed of his faithful beast.
Suddenly, directly in front of him and at a distance of not more than twenty yards, three men stepped into the road, and with their rifles in their hands waited for him to approach. A large dog was with them, and Robert could hear its low growls as it advanced toward him. Instantly he drew rein on his horse, and though he did not stop, he advanced slowly, watching the men keenly and striving to discover if he had ever seen any of them before. They were all three strangers to him, he speedily perceived, but his fears were not allayed by the fact, and their attitude and bearing increased his alarm. Almost
