They had crossed the bridge, passed up the hill, and traversed the
road along the margin of the Yaupáae, and were now just entering the
lane that runs down to the house. The storm was raging with unabated
fury, and the constable, with clenched teeth, and bent head, and
half-shut eyes, was breasting the driving flakes, and congratulating
himself with the idea that his exposure would soon be over, and he
by the side of a warm stove in one of the stores, the hero of the
evening, recounting the adventures of the day and comfortably taking
his cheerful glass, when suddenly, without having seen a person, his
cap was violently pulled over his eyes, a thick coffee-bag slipped
over his head, and a hand applied to his throat to stifle any cries,
should he be disposed to make them. But the poor fellow was too much
frightened to emit a sound, had he been never so much inclined to
scream.

"Make no noise," said a stern but disguised voice, "and you are safe.
No injury is designed. I will lead you. Follow quietly."

The man grasped his arm, and led him, as it seemed, out of the
travelled path into an adjoining field, for he was directed to lift
his feet at a particular spot, and in doing so, struck them against
what were evidently wooden bars, such as are everywhere to be found in
New England, at the entrances to the stone wall encircled lots. They
were followed by Holden, and, as the constable judged, from the slight
sounds he succeeded in occasionally catching, by another person.
When his captor seemed to think he was in a place where he would be
unlikely to be disturbed by a casual passer, he stopped and demanded
the key to the handcuffs. Every movement of the constable must have
been narrowly watched during the evening, for, as he hesitated, either