ey head as he chewed
meditatively on a straw:

"It kind 'er 'pears to me, chillun, like as ef dat yere Britisher what's
flutterin' 'roun' ober York way wid his hosses, an' his guns, an' his
shinin' sword, was heapin' up a sight ob misery for hisself."

"But surely, Uncle 'Rasmus, after the engagement at Green Spring, you
can't believe it would be possible for the French general to do him any
harm?" Saul cried, surprised by the old negro's words, which seemed much
like a prophecy.

"I ain' sayin', chile, dat de French gin'ral is gwine for to hurt de
Britishers so berry much; but it kind'er 'pears to me dis erway: You see
dey's come down yere to de jumpin'-off place, an' dere ain' much chance
for 'em to get away 'cept dey goes by water. Now I'se done hear dat
dere's a power ob French vessels hangin' 'roun' off de Capes, des like
as if dey was waitin' to swaller up de red-coated gen'men."

"If he can't get away by water he'll go back by land," Saul suggested,
and Uncle 'Rasmus shook his head mournfully, as if it pained him to
believe that my Lord Cornwallis had come into a veritable trap.

"What 'bout dat yere Virginia gen'man dey's got up Norf--what 'bout
Gin'ral Washington? Do you count, chillun, de's gwine for ter lay stock
still when he's got de chance ob nabbin' all dis yere stuff what dey
'lows b'longs to de king? Ef it was some ob yere po' wuffless Northern
trash what was runnin' dis yere war for de people ob America, den it
might be dat Lord Cornwallis was gwine to turn 'roun' slap when he done
got ready. But mark you, chillun, it's one ob our Virginia gen'men dats
lookin' after tings. He knows de lan' 'roun' erbout; kase why? Kase he's
bin here, chillun; he's bin right on dis yere plantation, an' he knows
dat when you strikes de town ob York you'se got to be sumfin like a
flea, able to hop a mighty big hop."

"Even suppose my Lord Cornwallis does beat back the Americans who are
led by one of my countrymen; he might find it very difficult to break
through their ranks, if he wanted to go back toward Richmond by the same
way he came," Pierre said with a wave of the hand which I never hope to
fully describe, for there was ever much of feeling in his gestures.

We remained there in the stable yard until the sun was low in the
western sky, discussing the situation with Uncle 'Rasmus as our oracle.
It is true we lads could not speak intelligently upon military matters,
and as I look back now upon that day, I reali