FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87  
88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   >>   >|  
as the best jockeys in Virginia could have done. "You see she hasn't fallen into such bad hands," Pierre said as we passed for the third time where I could have a good view of my pet, and I replied sorrowfully: "It isn't that she won't be taken care of, Pierre, for he into whose hands she might fall would indeed be a fool if he neglected so valuable a bit of horse-flesh; but it is the thought that she will be taken into battle, wounded, and left on the field to die, that breaks my heart." "And yet many a poor fellow will be wounded on the field of battle, and left there to die. Mayhap it will be the fate of you or of me, and since Silver Heels has been reared by a rebel, she must take the same chances that all us rebels in this country are forced to take if the yoke of the king's oppression is to be removed from our necks." Little Frenchie spoke like a preacher, and I dimly wondered whether his courage might not be failing him, now that we were fully committed to as desperate a venture as ever lads embarked on; but I need have had no forebodings, for after remaining silent a dozen seconds or more he seemingly shook off somber thoughts, and said cheerily: "The less you and I think of the future, and the closer we keep to the present, the better. Now let us make our way along the outer works in order to decide where we may have the best show of getting through the lines, if so be we decide to play the part of spies." "What about making ready to bring Horry Sims into the cabin?" "There's plenty of time for that 'twixt now and sunset," Pierre said carelessly. "We need spend little time in forming plans, because it must all be done by accident, or, what is the same thing, through chance and the negligence of the enemy. We'll get a good idea of the general situation, and then go back to Uncle 'Rasmus for something to eat." As Pierre had said so we did. Twice we traversed the entire length of the outer works, meaning the entrenchments facing the north; noted where each sentinel was posted, and otherwise gained all the information possible that might be of advantage to one who was trying to escape from the British. Then we went back to old Mary's cabin where Uncle 'Rasmus, despite his seeming feebleness, had made ready for us a most appetizing meal, by warming the corn-bread and toasting some of the boiled ham in a frying-pan. Although the outlook was most dismal to me, it did not affect my appetite on th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87  
88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Pierre

 

Rasmus

 

decide

 
wounded
 
battle
 

appetizing

 
forming
 

carelessly

 

boiled

 

negligence


chance
 

sunset

 

accident

 

plenty

 

warming

 
making
 

situation

 

sentinel

 

posted

 
affect

escape

 
facing
 

gained

 

information

 

dismal

 

Although

 

outlook

 
advantage
 

entrenchments

 

meaning


feebleness

 

length

 

British

 

frying

 

entire

 

traversed

 

appetite

 

toasting

 

general

 

fellow


breaks

 

thought

 

Mayhap

 

reared

 

chances

 

rebels

 
Silver
 

valuable

 

neglected

 

passed