Then, striving to show myself somewhat at ease in the company of this fellow with whom I had never previously a.s.sociated, I asked him in turn what he was doing, and where he counted on spending the night.

He gave no heed to my first question, but replied to the second by saying:

"I allow I'll stay with you lads till sunrise. It's a bit lonesome loafing around here alone, and, like you, I know of no place where I can find a bed. We'll hang together as neighbors should."

"We'll do nothing of the kind, Abel Hunt," I cried hotly. "I claim the right to choose my own friends."

"Oh, you do, eh?" the fellow cried with a coa.r.s.e laugh. "Well perhaps in this case you haven't got any rights. At least, before allowing it I want to know why you are here, and how you happen to be wandering around the camp of an enemy, for surely you rebels count the king's soldiers as enemies."

I understood on the instant that I had made a mistake in thus speaking angrily; but it was too late to make amends, as I thought, and would have moved on but that Pierre said just as Abel Hunt barred my way by stepping in front of me:

"I see no reason, Fitz, why even though you may not be friendly with this lad, he should not remain with us, at least until morning. I can well fancy that if he, like you and me, has no place in which to lay his head this night, companionship of any kind would be very sweet. At least, I know it is with me, and, with your permission, shall welcome him."

"You will because you don't dare do different," Hunt cried triumphantly, and Pierre said with a note of sharpness in his tones:

"Since that is your belief, Master Hunt, we will prove to you the contrary," and Pierre, ruffling like a pigeon, strode off with a great a.s.sumption of dignity, I as a matter of course following.

When we came upon Abel Hunt we were going directly toward old Mary's cabin; but now Pierre turned at the next corner, walking slowly as if simply eager to pa.s.s the time, and headed in the direction of the river, while I kept close by his side mentally bewailing the little lad's unlucky desire to learn the location of the guard-house in which Saul was confined.

It was possible to see out of the tail of my eye, even though I had not heard his footsteps, that Abel Hunt was following less than half a dozen paces behind us, and a great fear came into my heart, for now I knew he was convinced we had had some hand in the disappearance of Horry Sims, and would act as our shadow in the hope of coming at the secret of the Tory's whereabouts.

There was little chance he would give us an opportunity of slipping into old Mary's cabin un.o.bserved, and I pictured to myself the alarm and distress of Uncle 'Rasmus as the hours went by and we failed to put in an appearance.

I had come to understand that we must walk the streets of York during all the hours of darkness, and, what was of far more importance, must hold back from performing that task which the Jerseyman had set us.

There was little hope we would be able to set off in a boat alone, and it was quite positive we would not dare do so while Hunt was holding us under his eye, therefore had we missed an opportunity of serving the Cause, as well as paved the way, perhaps, for our own arrest as spies.

I turned the matter over and over in my mind as I walked by Pierre's side in silence, asking myself whether this dissolute fellow could gain speech with any of the king's officers, and as I asked the question I could answer it full well, for he had only to whisper the fact that he could give information as to spies, and even my Lord Cornwallis himself would listen to him.

We had come to grief, as it seemed to me, and what presented itself to my mind as the most painful of all the sorry business, was that we had been brought to such a pa.s.s by a worthless, ignorant lout whom I would not have allowed to linger even in the Hamilton stables.

CHAPTER XI

A DESPERATE VENTURE

As Pierre and I walked aimlessly to and fro without other purpose than to convince Abel Hunt we were really without a shelter, and not daring to hold converse one with another lest he should overhear, the bitter thought was in my mind that Uncle 'Rasmus must perforce remain in old Mary's cabin standing guard over the prisoner.

I tried to remember how much water we had left in the cabin, and finally came to the conclusion that there was less than a quart in the bucket when I last quenched my thirst, therefore neither the old negro nor the Tory prisoner would have a bit to eat or a sup to drink until we had succeeded in throwing Abel Hunt off our track.

As a matter of course I understood that Morgan, the Jerseyman, would visit the cabin late in the evening in order to learn whether we had delivered the message with which he had charged us; but although I could find so much of trouble in the future, I failed of guessing that we might be forced to remain away from the cabin a full four and twenty hours.

It seemed to me positive that long before such time had elapsed Abel Hunt would weary of acting as our shadow; but certain it was that until we had tired him out, or something more promising attracted his attention, we must keep our distance from Uncle 'Rasmus and his prisoner.

We had been walking to and fro mayhap ten minutes with the fellow close at our heels, and then, quickening his pace, he came up to my side as he said in a surly tone:

"I do not believe you are in this village without shelter for the night!

Unless I mistake not your father owns one or more houses here, and why should you be forced to walk around? It is because you are not willing for me to know where you are stopping, which means that there is some of your rebel mischief afoot causing you to fear I may work you harm."

"It concerns me very little, Abel Hunt, what you believe," I replied sharply, "and as for my intent to work mischief, it is a dream born in your own evil head."

"Why do you not go to one of your father's houses?" he demanded, and I replied, striving to curb my anger which rose hot against the masterful tone he had dared use to me:

"It would seem that you have a better knowledge of my father's property than myself. If indeed he does own any houses in York, then is it most likely they have been taken possession of by the king's soldiers, for my Lord Cornwallis is not so kindly disposed toward us whom he calls rebels, as toward you Tories who claim to love the king, doing so simply because you hope to profit thereby in the way of money or of safety for your worthless necks."

Then I pressed forward more quickly to prevent the fellow from walking so close by my side, and whether it was chance, or because Pierre so directed our steps, I cannot say; the fact is, however, that we were speedily come out on the river front directly opposite Gloucester Point, and here, as if he was leg-weary, little Frenchie threw himself on the ground within twenty paces of the water's edge.

"Are you minded to stop here, lad?" I asked in a low tone, and he replied with what sounded to me much like an odd inflection of the voice:

"I have walked around so long, Fitz, that it seems impossible to take another step. Since we must pa.s.s the time in some way 'twixt now and sunrise, why not let it be at this place where we can stretch out at full length, and mayhap sleep."

"Thinking you would tire me out, eh?" Abel Hunt cried, he having as a matter of course been so close to our heels that it was possible for him to hear the lightest word.

"It makes little difference whether we tire you out, or you remain near by, so that you keep at a respectful distance. It is not your following which annoys me; but your striving to hug so closely."

"Perhaps I am not good enough for such as you?" Hunt cried angrily, and now it was that I ceased striving to hold my temper in check, replying in quite as hot a tone as the question had been asked:

"You have hit exactly upon the truth, Abel Hunt, and it is no news to you, for from the time I can remember I have ever striven to give you a wide berth, because of your breeding."

"Before this war is over it may be that you, Fitzroy Hamilton, will regret that you were not bred in different fashion. The people of Virginia are not all alike, and many will hold accountable those who have brought the war into our borders."

It was useless to bandy words with the fellow, as I understood, even though my anger was so great that it would have soothed me somewhat to give him a plain statement of the position he occupied in Virginia; but I held my peace as I threw myself down by the side of little Frenchie, counting that the lad would chide me for having had speech with Abel Hunt. Instead of so doing he remained silent, his head pillowed on his arm as he looked across the river toward the twinkling lights on Gloucester Point where a portion of Lord Cornwallis's army was encamped, and straightway there came into my mind the thought that the dear lad was striving to cook up some plan which might work to our advantage.

It is true that his last scheme had brought us into sore trouble; but that was no proof he could not in the future, as he had in the past, contrive something to our benefit. I made no attempt to enter into conversation with him; but was content to lie there watching.

Abel Hunt stood shifting uneasily from one foot to the other, half a dozen paces distant, as if deliberating whether he would have further speech with me on the subject of breeding, and I fancied, perhaps because I hoped it might be so, that he was eager to turn his attention to something more diverting than acting as a shadow to Pierre and me.

As the time wore on, however, I began to doubt the correctness of my guess, for Hunt in turn threw himself down on the ground at full length, as if to rest, and was seemingly encamped there for the night.

When I would have whispered to Pierre, counting on asking him if we had not best try to escape from the fellow by the quickness of our heels, the little lad motioned for me to remain quiet, and because of past experience I obeyed him on the instant.

Now and then a soldier bent on some errand, or a sentinel on duty, pa.s.sed by; but gave no heed. None save Abel Hunt in all that town of York appeared to fancy that it might be worth while to watch us.

Then, after it seemed as if a full night had pa.s.sed, I heard the sentries call the hour of midnight. We must have been there on the river bank not less than three hours, and now it was, being thus warned of the pa.s.sage of time, that Abel Hunt began to grow uneasy.

Watching him out of the tail of my eyes as I lay silent and motionless by Pierre's side, I saw the fellow raise himself on his elbow and look steadily at both us lads, as if striving to make out whether we might have fallen asleep, and I began to breathe heavily, as does one who slumbers soundly, whereupon Pierre, who must also have been taking note of Hunt's movements, followed my example.

Then the fellow rose to his feet, came softly beside us and bent over, striving to get a view of our faces even though the night was dark, and all the while we gave him fair token of being wrapped in the unconsciousness of slumber.

He stood over us a full two minutes striving to make out to his entire satisfaction whether we were asleep or awake, and then, evidently having come to the conclusion that we were indeed in Dreamland, he stole softly away.

Raising my head ever so slightly I noted that he took the direction which would lead him near to my Lord Cornwallis's headquarters, and for the first time since we had come upon the knave did I grow really timorous. It needed not any very quick-witted lad to understand what would be the result if even such a dissolute fellow as Abel Hunt should give information that the son of a well-known rebel was loitering around the village after night-fall, claiming to have no place where he could find shelter.

"I believe he is going directly to headquarters to make report concerning us," I whispered in Pierre's ear, taking good care meanwhile not to move my body lest peradventure Hunt might look back and discover that we were not asleep.