The following morning, the party had just finished breakfast, and were clustered about in front of the house, when Captain Jamison came hurriedly up the avenue.  
Old Marbury, with his foot in the stirrup, had paused for a moment's conversation with Mr. Plater and Parkington, and he regarded the approaching skipper with some surprise.
 
"What does this mean, Jamison?" he asked, "I thought you would be well on the way to Annapolis, by this time."
 
"So did I, sir," was the answer. "Such were your orders—but you can't never tell what will happen. The truth is, sir, Long-Sword has escaped!"
 
"Escaped! How?—when?" Marbury demanded.
 
The skipper was plainly much embarrassed—he twirled his cap between his fingers, shuffled his feet, and his glance wandered skyward.
 
"I don't know, sir—it was sometime between dark and daylight. He was in the cabin, tight enough, with the irons fast on him, when night fell—he was gone, this morning."
 
"With the irons fast to him?"
 
[Pg 197]
 
"No, sir, with the irons off him, sir, lying on his bunk—and as securely locked as when they were on him. How did he get out of them, sir, how did he get out of them?"
 
Marbury shook his head. "If you cannot tell, I am sure I cannot."
 
"Possibly he found the key you lost," observed Parkington.
 
"I did not lose it in his cabin, sir," said Jamison; "it was found at the foot of the companionway. I picked it up there, myself."
 
Parkington nodded. It was clever of Brandon to lock the irons and leave the key where it likely would be found.
 
"Then he must be small-boned and small-jointed. I have heard of men who could slip the irons in that way," remarked Plater.
 
"I think not—they seemed to fit him very close—in fact, he complained of them pinching him."
 
"Like enough!" laughed Plater. "Another proof that they were loose."
 
"Where was the guard—asleep?" asked Marbury.
 
"No, not asleep—dead! dead! with his own knife buried in his breast."
 
"When did you discover that Long-Sword was missing?"
 
"A little after day-break. I sent every man ashore on the search. I did not come here, until it was proved he had escaped."
 
[Pg 198]
 
"How did he get ashore?"
 
"Swam for it."
 
"Hum! pretty fair for a broken collar-bone!" Marbury remarked.
 
"He is a dangerous man, sir."
 
"Naturally—otherwise he would not be a pirate chief."
 
"He must be taken!" protested the skipper. "We must catch him!"
 
"Yes—we, or some one else, must catch him—and, as he seems to have got away from the vicinity, it will probably be some one else," Parkington observed.
 
"So you likely will not retire on your reward, Jamison," Marbury observed; "another will get the thousand guineas.... Why did you not notify us, at once?"
 
"Because, I hoped to catch him, sir."
 
"And not be obliged to tell me he had escaped—I see."
 
"It is only human nature," said Parkington. "Let me intercede for Jamison."
 
"It is not necessary; I reckon I would have done the same had our positions been reversed. Moreover, I am not much grieved over it. Long-Sword is a very decent sort of man—too decent to stretch a halter."
 
"You will do nothing, sir, to apprehend him?" gasped Jamison.
 
"Nothing!" said Marbury.
 
[Pg 199]
 
"And the seaman he killed, in cold blood?"
 
"Was the man married?—Yes? Then I shall give his widow a year's pay. For my part, I have had enough of pirates, and I do not propose to disturb this house party, especially the women folk, by hunting one who is trying his best to get away. You are at liberty, with your crew, to continue the search, provided it does not conflict with your orders. But Hedgely Hall is done with the buccaneering business—and, please God! it be done with her. Gentlemen, I must to the fields," and, with a curt nod, he was up in saddle and away.
 
"What are you going to do, Jamison?" said Parkington.
 
"Do, sir! what can I do? Follow down the coast, and raise the hue and cry—and, likely, find he has gone Northward! Devil's Ship! but it's a bad business."
 
"The pirate business is generally bad—in the end," remarked Parkington.
 
"If you do not catch Long-Sword, the chances are that some one else will," sympathized Plater.
 
"Yes, and get the reward," said Jamison.—"I cannot claim the thousand guineas, unless I deliver him to the authorities."
 
"Then, it is the reward and not the pirate you are after?"
 
"It is the pirate because of the reward.—I would not turn a hand to take him, otherwise."
 
[Pg 200]
 
"Well, you better be up and doing, or you will not have any chance of taking him," said Parkington. "If I can aid you, in any way, pray, command me. I rather fancy chasing a pirate on land—it is a novel experience."
 
"I'm off, sir!—I'm going down the coast; may be, I can pick him up. He will likely make for one of the Virginia ports. Thank you, sir, for your offer of assistance."
 
"He will never take him," said Plater, looking after Jamison. "The fellow has not gone to Virginia, I will wager. He will lie very low, until his injury is healed—a stranger, with a broken collar-bone, is too easily located."
 
Parkington nodded assent. "Marbury's course seemed to surprise Jamison," he said.
 
"Because Jamison was thinking only of the reward. I should have done just as Marbury did; he has the pirate ship, which, doubtless, he considers is prize enough. Jamison lost his prisoner through sheer carelessness, and Marbury does not intend to turn the plantation upside down to help retake him. Oh, the old man is usually right."
 
"He seems to have been, at least in getting money."
 
"Yes—after Carroll he is the richest man in Maryland.—You have met young Carroll."
 
Parkington nodded. "He seemed a particularly nice fellow."
 
[Pg 201]
 
"He is—though we scarcely know him. He has been in France since he was eight years of age, getting his education under the Jesuits, and, in London, studying law in the Temple: he returned home only last year. Having polished himself, he will now spend the rest of his life looking after his property."
 
"A pleasant occupation—when one has sufficient to look after."
 
"And at which only about half of us are even moderately successful. If I can retain my own, and my wife's, I shall be more than thankful. As for Marbury"—he ended with a gesture.
 
"Which means?" said Parkington.
 
Plater laughed. "That is what I do not know. He has two children—you have seen them, what is your estimate?"
 
"I have not seen enough to form an estimate, but I should say young Mr. Marbury shows excellent promise."
 
"Only promise! Exactly, Sir Edward; but he should show more than promise. He is a charming young man, but can he hold together the Marbury fortune. I admit that I and all the others are undecided. As for Miss Marbury——"
 
"It will depend upon the man she marries," said Parkington.
 
"And the fortune will be much less than George's. The bulk always goes to the heir, if he be of direct[Pg 202] blood, the same as in England, though there is no entail."
 
"Who are Miss Marbury's suitors," asked Parkington, carelessly. "No one of the men, here, seems to be, and, yet, of course, she has them in plenty."
 
"She could have them in plenty, but she will not. Every young fellow in Annapolis would have been only too happy—but, nay. They can be as friendly as they please; the instant they would be more, she is up and away."
 
"The right man has not come," said Parkington.
 
"Possibly, not!—But where can you find a better man than Paca, or Constable, or Jennings, or any one of the young bloods you meet at the Coffee-house?"
 
"I do not know—no one knows—possibly, even she does not know. But she will know, when the right one comes—that is, the right one for the time. He may be the wrong one in six months—more's the pity.—Yet even she cannot foresee that."
 
"You are a bit cynical!" laughed Plater. "May be they are the ways of England, but they are not our ways."
 
"Not your ways, yet," Parkington amended.
 
"And, I trust, never will be. When a woman chooses a husband, with us, whether for love or policy—though, thank God! there is not much of the latter—she makes the best of it. And it is[Pg 203] marvelous what you can do, if you settle yourself to it."
 
"I grant you that," said Parkington; "but the trouble with us seems to be, that, as the country grows broader in civilization, it loses in morals.—You are headed the same way; it is only a question of a little time until you are up with us."
 
"Do you mean it will come in my day?—that I shall see it?"
 
"Yes, I do—you colonists are learning fast. Witness, the Stamp Act, and so on. You are growing powerful, and with power comes laxity. But, we diverge—we were discussing our hostess; scarcely, the best-bred thing to do, but excusable under the circumstances. Has she never been in love—since she came to Annapolis, I mean?"
 
"I think not," said Plater; "at least, there never has been any indication of it. The one man she seems to like at all times, is Richard Maynadier—and he is almost old enough to be her father. He never has attempted to grow sentimental. He could not, if he wanted to. Maynadier and sentiment are strangers to each other."
 
("A word to the wise!" thought Parkington. "I must have a care, I see, for Mr. Richard Maynadier. No sentiment? Why, the man is full of it, or I observed him very poorly, last night.") What he said was: "Someti............