Asbury and Monteith Sterry mounted their horses and rode to the crest of the nearest elevation, which was fully 100 feet in height and commanded a wide sweep of country.

The morning was clear and bright, and the first glance they cast to the northward revealed a stirring sight.

A horseman was less than a half-mile away, and riding at headlong speed, as if in the extremity of mortal fright.
"What can it mean ?" asked the puzzled leader; "no one is pursuing him, and I see no cause for his panic." "I suspect," replied Sterry, thoughtfully, "that he is a messenger bringing important tidings to you.".