uld only be forced to tell your father the story, Fitz, in order for
him to guard the scoundrel as he would guard something very precious."

On the instant my heart leaped with joy, for verily did this plan seem
to promise both success and relief, and without looking ahead to the
possibilities I said promptly, as if it were in our power to do
whatsoever we pleased:

"He shall be carried to Williamsburg! Once there I'll answer for it he
has no chance to join his friends who claim to love the king so dearly."

Then Pierre and I set about discussing the best course to pursue while
leaving the town of York, as if we would set off that very night, when
Uncle 'Rasmus put an end to the hoping and planning, at least so far as
the present was concerned, by saying dreamily:

"I'se 'lowin', chillun, dat you won' fin' it so ter'ble easy to get out
ob de lines dis yere night. Dere's sumfin in de air dat's trubblin'
Marse Cornwallis, an' you can be mighty sure dese yere sogers am keepin'
dere eyes wide open."

Surprised at thus learning that the old negro knew so much of what was
going on outside, I asked irritably why he had formed such an opinion.

"Didn' you tell me yoursef, honey? I ain' 'lowin' dat dese yere sogers
would be shovelin' dirt in de night 'less sumfin had come up sudden
like. Des look out ob dis yere winder, an' see de torches all 'roun' us.
How you 'low you'se gwine to sneak out ob dis yere cabin wid de young
Tory 'tween you, an' get away widout anybody's askin' questions?"

There was no need for me to do as Uncle 'Rasmus suggested. While Pierre
and I had been searching for Saul we had seen signs, as I have already
set down, of unusual activity in every direction, and I realized that we
could not hope to make our way through the lines unnoticed while, as it
seemed to me, every member of Cornwallis's army was astir.

"Uncle 'Rasmus is right," Pierre said mournfully, "and I was a fool not
to have remembered what we have just seen. There is no sense in our
talking of leaving town, at least until the Britishers have quieted
down. We must carry the Tory into the loft again, and say to ourselves
that we are held prisoners in the village of York even as he is in this
cabin."

"Why take the trouble to carry him into the loft?" I asked fretfully,
angry because it had been shown me beyond a shadow of doubt that the
plan I leaped at so eagerly was an impossibility.

"Because when morning comes no one may say how many