e would kill you rather than suffer death ourselves.
Within a short time there will come into this room a man who is devoted
to the Cause, so he says; but who must not know that you are here. I
question much whether we can depend upon your solemn promise; but yet
rather than put you to the torture of being gagged during four and
twenty hours, I am inclined to take the chances, promising faithfully
that at the first outcry from you, and whatsoever may be the danger to
myself, I will take your life."

"You may believe me, and I promise to do whatsoever you say," Seth
whispered, the tears of fear rolling down his cheeks.

Then Hiram lifted him in his arms as if he had been no more than a baby,
and carrying him behind the screen of casks, laid the scoundrel down in
the tunnel, where, I fancied, because of the time Griffin remained
absent, the threat was repeated.

After returning he motioned us lads to the far corner of the cellar, and
there, crouching with our heads close together, we began discussing the
situation, which was now become doubly dangerous because of the
prisoner.

As a beginning, and in order that Archie and Harvey might understand the
better why I had brought the Tory with me, Hiram insisted upon my
telling once more the story of what had happened since I crept out
through the tunnel, and this I did, speaking cautiously, as you can well
fancy, for if peradventure Master Lord had heard the hum of our
conversation he would have made it his business to learn what we were
talking about.

"I'm free to admit that you could not have done otherwise, lad, and yet
it has put us in a mighty small box."

And Archie asked in a mournful tone:

"Is there no other way left open than for us to turn our backs upon
Silas, setting off this very moment in the hope of being able to gain
Cambridge?"

"We can wait here another four and twenty hours, mayhap, although the
chances are much against it," Hiram replied grimly.

"But if Job Lord should learn that he is here--" Harvey began, and
Griffin interrupted him by saying sharply:

"If he does, it is a case of our taking another prisoner, unless it so
happens that the man fights desperately, forcing us to end the struggle
by the shedding of blood."

"If he finds Seth in the passage--"

"Aye, if he simply finds the tunnel are we done for, unless it be
possible to overcome him. We can count that that young Tory cur is so
frightened he will not venture to make any outc