We bundled him down through the scuttle as if he had been a bale of merchandise rather than flesh and blood, and then I warrant you but little time was spent in binding his hands and feet so securely that, unaided, he could not get free.

How Uncle 'Rasmus may have viewed being left in the cabin to act the double part of jailor and helpless invalid, I know not. He had heard, as a matter of course, all our conversation in the loft above, and when we came down with Horry Sims and began to tie his feet, the old negro shoved his chair into one corner, saying as he did so that we should put the fellow where he could have him under his hand. Then, seating himself, with a blanket over his knee which might also serve to cover Horry in case visitors entered, he was ready to do his share of the work.

I was not satisfied to leave the two alone, unless Uncle 'Rasmus was armed, and would have set out in search of some weapon, although I knew not where to procure one, but that Pierre said with something almost approaching impatience in his tone:

"Are you so blind, Fitz Hamilton, that you can't see whether Uncle 'Rasmus is armed or not? With that cane of his I dare venture to say he could strike a man dead with one blow; while that is in his hand and Horry lying at his feet, the Tory is completely at the old man's mercy."

All this was true, as I should have seen before Pierre spoke, and when we had the miserable cur of a prisoner disposed of in a corner of the room where the old negro could, if need arose, cover him with the blanket which was supposed to be needed by himself as an invalid, it appeared to me we need not fear going about in the village while the cabin was unguarded save by Uncle 'Rasmus.

It would not have been like the little French lad to linger many seconds after our preparation had been completed, and immediately he satisfied himself that matters had been arranged to the best of our ability, he opened the door, going out into the night as he motioned for me to follow.

It must have been that news had come into the town of York during the afternoon concerning a threatened advance of the Americans, for even though it was night the Britishers were working at their fortifications, having torches of pine knots stuck up here and there, and it seemed as if every man of that army of seven thousand was using either the pick or the shovel, or directing the movements of those who worked with their hands.

"Can it be that our French general is advancing?" Pierre whispered gleefully to me, and because I wished it might be so, it was in my mind almost a certainty that the Americans were closing in on this town of York, with the intent of giving battle to our enemies.

We at once turned our steps toward the quarters of the Rangers, for there was good reason to believe that Saul, on leaving the cabin in the morning, would have gone there first in the hope of getting a glimpse of his mare, and as we came upon a group of soldiers who were at work upon one of the redoubts I barely smothered an exclamation of delight, for there I saw Morgan, the Jerseyman, his coat off, shoveling dirt as if his one desire on earth was to prevent the Americans from entering York.

So thick is my head that I would have gone directly toward him, thinking only to tell of Saul's disappearance and ask his advice concerning what we had best do; but as I stepped forward Pierre clutched me firmly by the arm, and at the same instant I saw a warning look in Morgan's eyes as he recognized us.

Fortunate it was that I had sense enough to obey instantly both the look and the grasp on my arm, otherwise had I betrayed him to his death, and us lads to a prison.

I was faint with the sickness of fear on realizing what might have been brought about by my stupidity; but Pierre led me straightaway in the direction we had been pursuing, and before the dear lad could speak I said, noting that we were beyond ear-shot of any of the king's soldiers:

"Forgive me, lad, forgive me! I came near to doing that which could never have been undone, and remembering the terrible danger I was like to have placed you and Morgan in, it maybe that in the future I shall walk and act more as a thinking boy should."

"No harm has been done, Fitz," and little Frenchie caressed my coat sleeve as if it was he instead of me who had so nearly wrecked three lives. "So long as you didn't speak to Morgan, and no one could have noticed that you recognized him, it is as if we hadn't seen the man."

It was ever little Frenchie's way to do what he might to soothe the feelings of one who had gone wrong, and flinging my arm above his neck regardless of whosoever might see, I hugged him to my side as if he had been a sister.

Owing to the unusual activity all around us we were able to go at will throughout the village, seemingly arousing no suspicions, for hardly a man noticed us, and we searched every foot of the encampment save, as a matter of course, the guard-houses or the buildings occupied by Britishers, until having satisfied ourselves that Saul was not lying in some out-of-the-way place unable to move because of wounds.

"It must be that the Britishers have made him a prisoner," Pierre said thoughtfully as we wandered down to the river bank where we could converse without fear of being overheard. "If he had provoked a quarrel with any of the soldiers, or the lads who came from the plantations, we should have found him ere this. We may set it down as a fact that he is held in one of the guard-houses."

"Then what is to be done?" I cried impatiently, and to my surprise Pierre replied calmly:

"Nothing; at least, nothing now. Of ourselves we cannot hope to find him; but must wait until we have speech with Morgan. He is the one of all others in this town of York who can help us."

"And we are shut out from him by the fear that we may betray an acquaintance," I said bitterly, whereupon Pierre added, speaking in a soothing tone:

"It is only for a few hours, lad. There is no question but that he will seek us out when the opportunity comes, to learn if you succeeded in your mission, or if any word was sent to him, and we must wait."

"But in the meanwhile Saul is lying in one of these wretched places a prisoner, even as is Horry Sims in old Mary's cabin," I cried bitterly.

"True, Fitz, and we will hope that it is the worst which has befallen him; but how are matters to be mended by us who are much the same as prisoners ourselves? To go about making inquiries of any we chance to meet, would be the same as begging that we be arrested on whatsoever charge he lies under. It is what may be called the fortune of war, and you, and Saul, and I must show ourselves as Minute Boys should, by accepting whatever comes with the knowledge that we are aiding the Cause."

"Valuable aid we have given the Cause by coming into this town and looking at two horses which were stolen!" I cried savagely, and Pierre added, again caressing my arm:

"Don't forget that you succeeded in carrying a message which Morgan could not have delivered save at the cost of destroying his usefulness as a spy."

"And yet that had nothing to do with Saul's arrest, if so be he is a prisoner."

"Now you are unreasonable. Let us go back to the cabin and there wait until the Jerseyman comes. Whether the time be long or short, we by fretting and fuming cannot cut off a single minute. If remaining idle seems hard, remember, Fitz Hamilton, that by going ahead blindly we may make matters worse than they are now."

Of course I realized that all Pierre had said was true. No fellow could listen to the little lad when he was talking so earnestly and imploringly, without understanding how much of sound sense was in that tiny body of his, and for at least the tenth time since we set out from the Hamilton plantation counting to call ourselves Minute Boys, did I resolve that in the future I would never make protest at any command he might give, but would fall in readily and cheerfully with every suggestion of his.

He led me back to old Mary's cabin much as a nurse leads a petulant child, and when we neared the door I was like to have forgotten Saul's possible plight as the fear came over me that here might we have met with fresh disaster.

It was a wondrous relief to enter the rude cabin and find Uncle 'Rasmus still seated in his invalid's chair, with Horry Sims lying at his feet, and in my joy and relief I clasped both the old negro's wrinkled hands so tightly that he cried out with pain.

There was little need he should ask whether we had been successful in our search, because we had returned as we departed; but I could not refrain from acquainting him with our ill fortune by saying in a sorrowful tone:

"We have neither heard nor seen anything of the dear lad, and it must be that the Britishers are holding him prisoner."

"De Lawd's will be done, honey! De Lawd's will be done! Ef dat po' chile Saul hab fell inter de han's ob de Britishers, we'se boun' to set here sorrowin' widout liftin' a han' to help him."

"Uncle 'Rasmus is saying much the same as I did, Fitz dear," Pierre interrupted. "It is the fortune of war, and whatsoever comes to us while we are striving to play our part, must be borne. There is no reason why we should not hope for the best, at least until the Jerseyman comes, as I feel positive he will at the first opportunity."

CHAPTER IX

SUSPENSE

Pierre and I flung ourselves down at Uncle 'Rasmus's feet as if by such close companionship we could the better dull that deadly pain in our hearts, or lessen the horrible suspense which was about us like a dark, threatening cloud.

We had no inclination for conversation, because if we gave words to the fearful thoughts in our minds it was as if we were making of the possibility a reality. Therefore we lay on the puncheon planks alternating between faint hope and blackest despair, feeling that there was one chance in mayhap a thousand that something had occurred to call the lad out of the village, yet at the same time knowing that he must be in the hands of the enemy, otherwise would we have received some token from him by this time.

I said to myself again and again that if the red-coated gentry held him in their power a prisoner, he would be treated with some fair consideration, for these soldiers of the king were not red Indians, and would not proceed to extremities at least until after the semblance of a military trial.

I could account for the dear lad's absence only that by giving way to his ill temper he had unwittingly revealed the reason for being in the town of York, and had been arrested as a spy. That seemed the worst of the possibilities, for surely if such was the case they could prove him guilty, and I knew only too well the fate which would be his.

On looking at the matter more hopefully, I prayed that he might have gotten into a brawl with some of the soldiers, and been carried to the guard-house simply as a disturber of the peace, in which case nothing more serious than his own distress of mind and discomfort of body would occur.

It was Horry Sims who broke the long silence, and on hearing the voice of that Tory cur it was with difficulty I could prevent myself from leaping upon him, choking from his worthless carca.s.s the last breath of life, because he was responsible for all our suffering at that moment.

"It seems to me that now is the time when you can afford to make with me some kind of a trade," the young villain said, struggling to rise to a sitting posture, and before I could utter the words of wrath that arose within me, Pierre asked with that soft, mild voice of his, as if the idea of trading with the Tory was agreeable:

"In what way would you have us bargain, Horry Sims? What have you to offer?"

"You must be willing to admit that at some time in the future it will be necessary to set me free," he began, paving the way for that proposition which was coming, and little Frenchie said in a friendly tone:

"Yes, that is true, unless before such time comes you make it necessary for us to take your life in order to protect ourselves."

"Surely you would not kill me in cold blood when I stand ready to obey whatsoever command you may give?"

"In that case we should hesitate before taking even such a worthless life as yours," Pierre replied, and one might have thought from the tone of his voice that he was saying something which would be pleasing to the listener.