Ask Lot Gordon if I did not kill him; if he can speak he can tell you." "There won't neither him nor Burr say a word," said the old man, "but there was Burr's knife a-stickin' into Lot's side, with his name cut into it." Madelon turned sharply to Louis.

"You saw the blood on my hand when I was rubbing your arm last night," she said.
He made no reply, but stared gloomily at the fire.
"Louis, you saw Lot Gordon's blood on my hand ?" Louis sprang up with an oath, and pushed past her out of the room.
"Louis," Madelon cried, "tell them!" "She is trying to shield Burr Gordon!" Louis called back, fiercely, and the closing door shook the house like a cannon-shot.
"Where is Burr ?" Madelon demanded of old Luke Basset.
"The sheriff took him to New Salem to jail this morning," he replied, grinning.
Madelon gave a great cry and started to rush out of the room, but her father stood in her way.
"Where are you going ?" he asked, sternly.
"I am going to get my hood and cloak, and then I am going to Lot Gordon's." Her father stood aside, and she went out and up-stairs to her chamber.

She took up the red cloak which lay on her bed, and examined it eagerly to see if by chance there was a blood stain thereon to prove her guilt and Burr Gordon's innocence, but she could find none.

She had flung it back when she struck.

She looked also carefully at her pretty ball gown, but the black fabric showed no stain.
When she went down-stairs with her cloak and hood on old Luke Basset was gone, and so were her brothers.