perty might be in
any danger from the king's men. True it is that he was known as one
devoted to the cause of liberty; but thus far the war had been at such a
distance from us that we had seen little of its horrors, and for the
first time I began to realize there might be somewhat of mischief
afoot, therefore pressed forward hotly, Pierre holding me back from time
to time lest we overtake the soldiers.

The Britishers must have walked more rapidly than we fancied, for when
finally we were come within view of my home, we saw riding out from the
stable-yard, each man mounted and more than one with a led-horse by his
side, all the company that had passed us on the road, and the animals
which they rode and led were horses belonging to my father! Yea, among
them Saul's mare and my own favorite colt, which I cherished as the
dearest thing on earth next to my mother!

"What does it mean?" I cried, speaking with difficulty because of that
seeming lump in my throat, and little Frenchie, shrugging his shoulders
in a manner that set every nerve in my body aquiver, replied as if it
was a matter of small moment:

"They have been to the Hamilton plantation in order to get mounts for
the officers of my Lord Cornwallis's army, and from this on your colt
will carry a burly Englishman bedecked with gilt lace and red cloth,
instead of the lad who loves her so dearly."

CHAPTER II

SILVER HEELS

It was for a moment as if I could scarcely credit my senses. The idea
that any one, even those belonging to the plantation, should bestride my
own colt, my little Silver Heels, as I had named her!

She had been given to me when a baby, and no hand save mine had touched
her, except when some of the negroes would rub her coat to silken
glossiness in order to curry favor with me. Now she was being ridden and
roughly handled by a red-faced private of Simcoe's Queen's Rangers!

When my surprise had given way to anger, which it did within a very few
seconds, I would have run swiftly forward, claiming my own Silver Heels,
and defying, if needs be, all that company of red-coats, for the rage in
my heart was so great that I had no thought of prudence nor of my
inability to cope even with a single one of those Rangers; but that
Pierre, seizing me firmly by the arm, actually dragged me amid the
foliage where we might be screened from view, for the men--the thieves,
I should say, were by this time riding directly toward us.

"Have you lost y