"Both their guns and their powder-horns and shot-bags are gone," said
Abner.

"They would have taken them anyway," said Louis.

"The chest in Louis's chamber is unlocked and the money he kept in
the till is gone, and his fiddle is gone, and the cider-brandy and
wormwood bottle to bathe his arm with, and two shoulders of pork out
of the cellar, and a sack of potatoes, and the blankets off his and
Richard's beds are gone too," said Abner. He began to move towards
the house.

His father made a bound after him and grasped his arm. "What do you
mean?" he cried out. "What do you think they've run away for?"

"Know as much as I do," replied Abner. He wrenched his arm away and
strode on towards the house. Then David Hautville and his son Eugene
stood looking at each other with a surmise of horror growing in their
eyes.

"What does he mean?" David whispered, hoarsely.

Eugene shook his head.

Presently Eugene went into the barn and fell to feeding the roan
mare, and David plunged heavily back to the house. He and Abner sat
one on each side of the fire and furtively watched Madelon preparing
supper.