"
"With all my heart."
And _had_ the serpent, Durant, really withdrawn himself? Had some long
buried cord of human sympathy at last been touched in his heart, and the
slumbering emotions of a better nature awakened? Let us hope so if we can.
The lovers continued to converse of their hopes for the future, and regrets
for the immediate separation; and their attention became so fixed in each
other, that it would have required some extraordinary occurrence or sound
to arouse them. In reply to a remark of his companion, Hamilton said:
"Yes, but four months, and our probation will be ended. Would that they
would speed away as rapidly as the past week. Four months, and then shall
our happiness be--"
The sentence was never finished. At that precise moment rude hands grasped
each lover. A smothered cry arose to Ellen's lips, but was hushed by a
covering which was placed and fastened over her mouth. They were both
secured with thongs, and led away into captivity. As Ellen was being
secured, the miscreant captor hissed in her ear:
"Be of good cheer, you are in the hands of Durant, the 'DOG!' who
distinctly remembers your former kindness and amiability!"
CHAPTER VIII.
THE CAPTIVES.
With all the speed possible, Durant hurried off toward the Ohio, determined
as soon as it could be done, to place that river between himself and
captives and any pursuers that might follow them, when it became known that
the lovers were missing.
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