FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   113   114   115   116   117   >>   >|  
on. Git dere, honey, git dere!" Uncle 'Rasmus's advice, instead of strengthening my courage, was weakening it. In the darkness, and now when we were about to make this venture which I knew to be in the highest degree dangerous, I was growing weak-kneed. The attempt to bring Horry Sims across the entire length of the village, where were Britishers on every hand, seemed an entirely different matter from what it had been when the sun was shining, and, fearing lest I might show the white feather if we stood there many moments, I went out hurriedly into the night, giving little heed as to whether Pierre followed until I felt the soft pressure of his hand upon my arm. "There is no need of great haste, Fitz," he whispered, and I replied in a tremulous voice: "Indeed there is, Pierre, else am I like to grow so cowardly as to turn tail and make for the Hamilton plantation, regardless of anything save my own feelings." "You will never do anything of the kind, Fitzroy Hamilton, and that you know as well as I," the little lad whispered with emphasis. "I am not afraid you will turn coward, for it is not cowardly to be afraid when one makes such a venture as this, providing he keeps his face resolutely toward the goal." I might fill up an hundred pages with an account of my fears and forebodings as Pierre and I went cautiously through the darkness from old Mary's cabin, to Bemis's shop, and yet not have told anything which would interest a stranger, therefore it is that I shall content myself by simply saying that we crossed the village without having been molested, almost without having heard a sound from the enemy. As a matter of course it was necessary we pass at this point or that near by where soldiers were in camp, or on duty; but the darkness was so intense that by making a slight detour we could avoid being seen, and, judging from what few noises we heard, the encampment was in a state of almost complete repose. Arriving at the shed door we stood motionless and silent while one might have counted twenty, our ears pricked up to catch the lightest sound which would tell of the approach of an enemy, after which, hearing nothing, we set about making our way into the rude building and thence across the rubbish to where were the two casks which formed Horry Sims's prison. This last was anything rather than a simple matter, if we would move noiselessly, for in the darkness it was impossible to make out what obstr
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   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   113   114   115   116   117   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

darkness

 

Pierre

 

matter

 
making
 
whispered
 

afraid

 

cowardly

 

Hamilton

 
venture
 

village


crossed
 

prison

 

formed

 

simply

 

rubbish

 

building

 

molested

 

content

 
cautiously
 

impossible


interest

 

simple

 

noiselessly

 

stranger

 

encampment

 

pricked

 

noises

 

lightest

 

judging

 

forebodings


complete

 

counted

 
motionless
 

silent

 

repose

 

twenty

 

Arriving

 
soldiers
 
hearing
 

detour


slight

 
approach
 

intense

 

shining

 
fearing
 
length
 

Britishers

 

giving

 

hurriedly

 

feather