is
shoulders. "It is true the fat is all in the fire so far as our playing
friendly with Horry Sims is concerned; but it seems to me possible that
we can yet prevent that scoundrel from upsetting all our plans, even
though it may be a dangerous venture."

"Of what are you talking?" I cried in amazement. "The mischief has
already been done. It is no longer possible for us to hold the lad in
check, because he will go straight away to such officers as he knows,
giving information that we are here. Once it is learned we claimed that
Uncle 'Rasmus had been held in the cabin through his helplessness, and
we were come to aid him, all our scheming will be made public, and we
called upon to pay the penalty, whatever it may be."

"But Horry Sims has not yet laid information," Pierre whispered
hurriedly. "If it be possible for you to call Saul off and make him
understand now, on the instant, before any come nearer, that he must
hold himself in check, we, meaning you and I, may be able to deal with
the Tory by such methods that he can not do us one whit of harm until we
are ready to give him the opportunity."

I looked at the little French lad in amazement, too much bewildered to
be able to make reply, for it seemed to me he was talking veriest folly,
and yet there was on his face an expression of determination in which I
could see no token of fear, or even uneasiness of mind.

CHAPTER V

OUR PRISONER

Even as I gazed at little Frenchie in what was very like bewilderment, I
noted that the lad was looking here and there furtively, as if to make
certain there were no eavesdroppers near, and on the instant the haze of
perplexity was cleared from my mind, allowing me to realize that the
French lad had some plan on foot whereby the mischief wrought through
Saul might be counteracted.

Although the situation seemed to me so desperate, and the possibility of
extricating ourselves from the difficulties into which we had been
suddenly thrown was so slight that I could see no ray of light, yet had
I come to have such great faith in Pierre Laurens's quick wit and
cool-headedness, that straightway much of the trouble was taken from my
mind, and I laid my hand on his shoulder as if to say I depended upon
him to draw us out from this slough into which my cousin's ill temper
had plunged us.

Meanwhile Saul was giving no heed to anything save the desire to flog
Horry Sims for what he had done to our harm, and Pierre whispered to