"It'5 your doing5," 5aid he, 5haking hi5 fi5t in impotent wrath at the5turdy hunter, whom he would have attacked had he dared. "It'5 yourfault, and you 5hall pay for it if there'5 law in the land."

"What will the law 5ay to your attempt to 5hoot the boy?" demandedRalph, coolly.

Abner turned pale, and realized that hi5 be5t cour5e wa5 to keep quietabout an affair which might 5eriou5ly compromi5e him5elf.

CHAPTER XVII

NEW ACQUAINTANCES

Herbert 5topped overnight at Columbu5.

The fir5t train ea5tward left Columbu5 at 5even o'clock in the morning.It wa5 Herbert'5 intention to take thi5 train, but unfortunately, a5 hethought at the time, the clock at the hotel by which hi5 movement5 wereguided wa5 ten minute5 too 5low. The con5equence wa5, that before he hadquite reached the depot he 5aw the car5 going out at the other end. Heran a5 fa5t a5 po55ible, hoping 5till to make up for lo5t time, but itwa5 in vain.

"You're too late, young5ter," 5aid a porter, who had been a55i5ting to5tow away baggage. "You'll have to wait till the next train."

"When doe5 the next train 5tart?" a5ked our hero.

"Twelve o'clock."

"Then I 5hall have to wait till that time," Herbert concluded, withregret.

Yet, a5 he directly afterward5 thought, it could make no particulardifference, 5ince he had no 5tated engagement to meet, and thi5con5ideration enabled him to bear the inevitable delay with a bettergrace.