n saying that it would give us greatest
pleasure if we were of age to be taken into the ranks of the American
army as soldiers.

"Perhaps you who have seen so much of military encampments can tell us
what we ought to do," Saul said sneeringly, and a deep flush came over
Pierre's face as he understood the meaning of my cousin's tone; but like
the true little comrade that he was, he gave due heed to the grief in
Saul's heart and seemingly paid no attention to the sneer, as he replied
in a friendly tone:

"I am not setting myself up as having more of wisdom than either you or
Fitz; but I truly believe it is within my power to give good advice to
two lads who are yet so angry as to have lost sight of prudence. You
have due reason to believe that Horry Sims, who has already this morning
done you grievous wrong, is in York Town, and if there was enough of
vileness in his heart for him to point out to those soldiers of the
king your horses that he might strike a heavy blow, then would he do yet
worse on seeing you within the encampment. I have never met the lad but
once. He has no cause for enmity against me; I am so poor in this
world's goods that it is beyond his power to deprive me of anything save
liberty, and on seeing me alone I dare venture to say he would have no
thought that I might have been your comrade this morning; but--"

"Yet he knows that you and your mother are guests at the Hamilton
plantation," Saul added sharply.

"My mother and I are French, who have lately come from New Orleans, and
he can not point us out as having said a word of disrespect against the
king."

For my part it was needless for Pierre to argue. I had come to
understand before he was done with speaking that it would be better for
him to reconnoitre the ground; that he could learn as much, if not more,
than the three of us, meanwhile running comparatively no risk, and when
Saul would have argued I cried out impatiently:

"Can you not see that it is better Pierre go alone? Do you not realize
that, however eager we may be, it is not possible we could gain
possession of the horses within any very short time, and all we are
needing now is to know where they are quartered? Let Pierre do as he
suggests, and learn so much as he can. Then, when we are minded to
venture our heads within the lion's jaws, it will seemingly be the first
visit to the town of York instead of the second. Thereby shall we stand
less risk of being suspected of an inten