entirely conceal her face; and near her was an old man who supported on
his bare head a load that looked heavy enough for a horse. Even little
children carried bundles considerably larger than themselves, and all
were laughing and talking merrily as they made their way to the village
store at the cross-roads.

Kate ran eagerly out to question these people. They must certainly have
seen Harry.

The good-natured negroes readily stopped to talk with Kate. The
ox-driver halted his team, and every head-burdened man, woman, and child
clustered around her, until it seemed as if sumac clouds had spread
between her and the sky, and had obscured the sun.

But no one had seen Harry. In fact, this company, with the accumulated
proceeds of a week's sumac gathering, had come from a portion of the
county many miles from Crooked Creek, and of course, they could bring no
news to Kate.




CHAPTER V.

THE TURKEY-HUNTER.


When Harry left Kate, he quietly walked by the side of Crooked Creek,
keeping his eyes fixed on the tracks of the strange animal, and his
thumb on the hammer of the right-hand barrel of his gun. Before long the