verity if Uncle 'Rasmus had not already left the
plantation, she would have set her face against it. As it is, knowing
that now most like the old negro is housed up in the cabin, unless the
Britishers, suspecting intended mischief, have given the poor fellow
lodgings in a guard-house, she realizes that we can do no less than
continue as we have begun, although her command is that we do not run
our heads into danger unnecessarily. She says it is foolish for us to
venture our liberty, and perhaps our lives, in the effort to reclaim two
horses, when it is possible to buy others that would serve us equally
well."

"We could never find a colt that would be as dear to me as is Silver
Heels," I interrupted hotly, all the grief which had come upon me the
evening previous returning to my heart, and setting my pulse beating so
loudly that it seemed as if the lads might hear the blood leaping
through my veins.

"What did you bring in the way of provisions?" Frenchie asked, and his
question reminded me that we had gone supperless to bed.

"Enough to keep us all from hunger a full week, I believe," Saul replied
with an air of pride, as if he alone should have the credit, not only
for bringing, but for providing, the supplies.

Then it was he opened the sack he carried, and displayed an ample store
of cold boiled ham, corn-bread, fried hominy and fried ham, saying as he
did so:

"If so be we are allowed to remain with Uncle 'Rasmus, some of us should
be able to catch fish enough to add to this store until it will serve as
a week's rations."

Pierre and I at once set about making a hearty meal, giving no heed to
the possibility that we might come to short rations later, and even
sulky Saul was not averse to joining us.

Before we had satisfied our hunger my cousin was in a more pleasant
frame of mind and condescended to explain to us all that had been said
and done on the plantation after we left. As nearly as I could make out
it seemed that my mother was willing we should go our own pace, although
as a matter of course she, like any other woman, was frightened at the
idea of our venturing among enemies, for surely with my father in the
so-called rebel army, we could count that these red-coated gentry would
be anything but friendly to those who came from the Hamilton plantation.

It heartened me wonderfully, if indeed I had needed heartening after
remembering that poor little Silver Heels was awaiting my coming, to
know that