t the first opportunity."

CHAPTER IX

SUSPENSE

Pierre and I flung ourselves down at Uncle 'Rasmus's feet as if by such
close companionship we could the better dull that deadly pain in our
hearts, or lessen the horrible suspense which was about us like a dark,
threatening cloud.

We had no inclination for conversation, because if we gave words to the
fearful thoughts in our minds it was as if we were making of the
possibility a reality. Therefore we lay on the puncheon planks
alternating between faint hope and blackest despair, feeling that there
was one chance in mayhap a thousand that something had occurred to call
the lad out of the village, yet at the same time knowing that he must be
in the hands of the enemy, otherwise would we have received some token
from him by this time.

I said to myself again and again that if the red-coated gentry held him
in their power a prisoner, he would be treated with some fair
consideration, for these soldiers of the king were not red Indians, and
would not proceed to extremities at least until after the semblance of a
military trial.

I could account for the dear lad's absence only that by giving way to
his ill temper he had unwittingly revealed the reason for being in the
town of York, and had been arrested as a spy. That seemed the worst of
the possibilities, for surely if such was the case they could prove him
guilty, and I knew only too well the fate which would be his.

On looking at the matter more hopefully, I prayed that he might have
gotten into a brawl with some of the soldiers, and been carried to the
guard-house simply as a disturber of the peace, in which case nothing
more serious than his own distress of mind and discomfort of body would
occur.

It was Horry Sims who broke the long silence, and on hearing the voice
of that Tory cur it was with difficulty I could prevent myself from
leaping upon him, choking from his worthless carcass the last breath of
life, because he was responsible for all our suffering at that moment.

"It seems to me that now is the time when you can afford to make with me
some kind of a trade," the young villain said, struggling to rise to a
sitting posture, and before I could utter the words of wrath that arose
within me, Pierre asked with that soft, mild voice of his, as if the
idea of trading with the Tory was agreeable:

"In what way would you have us bargain, Horry Sims? What have you to
offer?"

"You must be willing