uld be
possible to distinguish a word of the conversation," I said in reply to
Saul's suggestion, and he was seemingly satisfied that such would be the
case, for instead of making any attempt at an argument, he crept more
closely to my side, pulling Pierre with him until we three, in order to
hold in view that group of red, in the midst of which was Horry Sims,
were forced to part the foliage with our hands that we might peer
between the leaves.

Perhaps our suspicions of the lad prompted us to see more than really
was presented; but certain it is I fancied that the officer, who was
mounted, plied Horry with questions, to which the lad replied as if it
gave him pleasure to impart information. I also suspected they were
saying somewhat concerning our plantation, for now and again Horry
pointed in the direction of my home, and the foot soldiers looked back
as if fancying they might see the buildings in the distance, all of
which was the more real to me because betwixt where we stood and the
Hamilton plantation there was no other dwelling.

We remained there in hiding a full half hour, and then it appeared to me
as if the officer and Horry Sims parted in friendly fashion, the lad to
continue on toward York Town, and the officer and his men to march in
our direction, as if counting to follow back on our trail.

As a matter of course there was nothing we lads could do save remain in
hiding, trusting that our whereabouts would not be discovered, for,
although we had been doing no harm, if a servant of his majesty should
come to understand that we three lads were striving to keep out of
sight, he might take it into his thick head to fancy we were bent on
mischief.

In those days it was only needed that an officer in the service of the
king should have a suspicion, in order to straightway plunge into
difficulties that person toward whom the suspicions were directed.

We held ourselves in cover, therefore, and I confess to a sense of most
profound relief when the squad continued on without giving heed to the
possibility that there had been witnesses to the meeting with Horry
Sims.

[Illustration: "THAT WE MIGHT PEER BETWEEN THE LEAVES."]

"Now it is only for us to know where those gentlemen with the red coats
may be going," little Frenchie said, shrugging his shoulders as we came
out from the bushes and turned our faces in the direction from which we
had just come, whereupon Saul asked hotly:

"Are you not for York Tow