Occasionally there was some whispering
between this man and the Skinner nearest him, that induced Harvey to
suspect he had been the dupe of a contrivance in which that wretch had
participated. It was, however, too late to repine; and he followed the
party from the house with a firm and collected tread, as if marching to
a triumph, and not to a gallows. In passing through the yard, the leader
of the band fell over a billet of wood, and received a momentary hurt
from the fall; exasperated at the incident, the fellow sprang on his
feet, filling the air with execrations.
"The curse of heaven light on the log!" he exclaimed. "The night is too
dark for us to move in; throw that brand of fire in yon pile of tow, to
light up the scene."
"Hold!" roared the speculator; "you'll fire the house."
"And see the farther," said the other, hurling the brand in the midst
of the combustibles. In an instant the building was in flames. "Come on;
let us move towards the heights while we have light to pick our road."
"Villain!" cried the exasperated purchaser, "is this your
friendship--this my reward for kidnapping the peddler?"
"'Twould be wise to move more from the light, if you mean to entertain
us with abuse, or we may see too well to miss our mark," cried the
leader of the gang.
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