ong played the part of
invalid, trembling in every limb as he said in a quavering voice:

"Bress de Lawd! Bress de Lawd for all his mercies! Here am de chillun
come back when I neber expected to see dere faces agin!"

Saul in his delight clasped the old man around the neck, hugging him as
affectionately as though he had been of the same color and of the same
blood; but Pierre, cautious and thoughtful as ever, instead of spending
his time calming Uncle 'Rasmus when there was no real need of doing so,
began looking around to find Horry Sims.

Even though a battle might be raging on the outside, it was yet of vital
importance to us that the Tory be held prisoner, because his escape
might mean our death, if so be the fortunes of war allowed the
Britishers a breathing spell.

Pierre ran hurriedly to the corner of the room where we had last seen
the Tory cur lying, and an exclamation of dismay burst from his lips,
for the lad was not there. Hearing the cry I ran toward him, whereupon
he turned to Uncle 'Rasmus asking sharply:

"Where is he? Has he given us the slip? Who has been here since we went
away?"

"De Sims boy am safe, honey," Uncle 'Rasmus replied as Saul released his
hold on the old man's neck. "I 'clare for it I done got scared kase you
didn' come back, an' 'lowed it wouldn't do no ways to keep dat young
snake whar he could kick up a row ef any ob de king's sogers come in, so
I done put him away, honey, I done put him away."

"Put him away, Uncle 'Rasmus?" I cried in alarm. "Do you mean to say
that you killed Horry Sims?"

"Kill him, chile? Sure not. What for I kill him?"

"But where is he?" Pierre demanded, and I understood from the quick,
nervous tones that he had been equally alarmed with me by the old man's
words.

For reply Uncle 'Rasmus went to that end of the room near the fireplace
where he raised a short length of the flooring, and there we who
gathered around in breathless anxiety, saw Horry Sims lying upon the
earth, bound as we had left him, in a narrow space between the puncheons
which had evidently at some time been hollowed out as an apology for a
store-room.

"How did you get him down there, Uncle 'Rasmus?" I cried, for I had not
believed the old man sufficiently strong to perform such a task.

"I done roll him ober, chile, I done roll him ober. Don you see, honey,
I didn' dare keep him whar de sogers might see him, so I'se boun' to get
him out ob sight. I'd seen dat yere hole befo',