CHAPTER XLVII. TOM GORDON'S PLANS.

rustleofitsretreatingwings.Thenextdaynothingwasleft,onlyamoredecidedantipathytoClayton,forhavingoccasionedhimsodisagreeableasensation. TomGordon,onthewhole,wasnotunpopularinhisvicinity.Hedeterminedtorulethemall,andhedid.Allthatuncertain,uninstructed,vagrantpopulation,whichaboundinslavestates,wereathisnodandbeck.Theywerehistools—prompttoaidhiminanyofhispurposes,andconvenienttoexecutevengeanceonhisadversaries.Tomwasadeterminedslave-holder.Hehadabilityenoughtoseethewholebearingsofthatsubject,fromthebeginningtotheendandhewasdeterminedthat,whilehelived,thefirststoneshouldneverbepulledfromtheedificeinhisstate.Hewasaformidableadversary,becausewhathewantedincultivationhemadeupinunscrupulousenergyand,wherehemighthavefailedinargument,hecouldconquerbythecudgelandthebludgeon.Hewas,asFrankRusselhadsupposed,theauthoroftheparagraphwhichhadappearedintheTrumpetofFreedom,whichhadalreadyhaditseffectinawakeningpublicsuspicion. Butwhatstunghimtofrenzy,whenhethoughtofit,was,thateveryeffortwhichhehadhithertomadetorecoverpossessionofHarryhadfailed.Invainhehadsentouthuntersanddogs.Theswamphadbeentrackedinvain.Heboiledandburnedwithfiercetidesofpassion,ashethoughtofhiminhissecuritydefyinghispower. Somevaguerumorshadfallenuponhisearoftheexistence,intheswamp,ofanegroconspirator,ofgreatenergyandpower,whoselairhadneveryetbeendiscoveredandhedeterminedthathewouldraiseheavenandearthtofindhim.Hebegantosuspectthattherewas,somehow,understandingandcommunicationbetweenHarryandthosewhowereleftontheplantation,andhedeterminedtodetectit.Thisledtothesceneofcrueltyandtyrannytowhichwemadeallusioninaformerchapter.Themangledbodywasburied,andTomfeltneitherremorsenorshame.Whyshouldhe