y place here. You are to sleep now, to the
end that if work of any kind be demanded of us this night, you will be
in condition to perform your share of it."
There was no gainsaying a lad like Pierre Laurens; it would have been
much like resisting the entreaties of a girl friend, to set one's face
against that which he desired, and I meekly obeyed him, leaving in the
loft the prisoner who looked fairly well contented with the situation,
and the jailor who appeared to be suffering from confinement.
On the floor below Uncle 'Rasmus had already made up such a bed of
blankets as was possible, he having heard the conversation in the loft.
Straightway I had stretched myself out on that poor apology for a couch,
my eyes were closed in slumber, and I remained hour after hour in
blissful unconsciousness of the world of war and of hate around me,
until I was brought back to this earth and all the disagreeable
realities by the pressure of Uncle 'Rasmus's hand upon my cheek.
"What is it? What's wanted?" I cried, springing up and striving to brush
the slumber from my eyes, the cobwebs of sleep being so thick in my
brain that for the instant I did not realize where I was.
Then I noted with no little of apprehension that the night had come.
Already was the room so dark that save for the flickering of a few pine
knots in the fireplace, one could not distinguish surrounding objects,
and on fully recovering my senses I asked:
"Did Pierre Laurens go out for a swim as he counted on doing?"
"De po' little French boy am held right here, honey, kase he couldn't
leabe dat scoundrel ob a Tory."
"But where's Saul?" I cried. "Hasn't Saul come in since he left this
morning?"
"It's des dat what's aworryin' ob me, honey chile. Saul Ogden done lef
here arter we got trou breakfas', an' 'lowed he'd loaf 'roun' de town a
couple ob hours. I done heard him tell de little French boy dat he's
gwine fo' to be back here arter he'd seen his mare, an' yet he ain'
shown up sence. I tell you what it is, honey, I'se gettin' pow'ful
skeered 'bout dat cousin ob yourn. It can't be he'd stay all dis yere
time, knowin' he was boun' to habe an eye out on dat Tory cur, so's
Pierre could get a sniff ob fresh air."
For an instant I stood irresolute, looking about me as I tried to guess
what could have prevented Saul from keeping his word. During those few
seconds it did not come into my mind that aught of evil might have
happened; I only questioned what f
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