s down, an' all you chillun's needin' to do is
keep whar you can hol' your own. Get back inter de cabin, honey!"

Then it was that Uncle 'Rasmus took me by the arm with a strength which
I never suspected was in his frail body, and although I struggled not,
he literally dragged me through that howling, raging tempest to the
hovel which I thought I had left never to return, and we two entered,
the water running in streams from our garments as we stood in the middle
of the floor silent and motionless, each striving, most like, to decide
what should next be done.

CHAPTER XVIII

TRAPPED

Uncle 'Rasmus and I were still standing on the puncheon floor in the
darkness of old Mary's cabin when the door was suddenly thrown open, and
in came Pierre and Saul, bringing with them such an onrush of water as
the rain swept through the opening, that it seemed as if the hovel must
soon be flooded.

"Thank heaven you did not start as I counted on!" Pierre cried in a tone
of relief as he set about barricading the door to keep out the elements,
and I cried bitterly, remembering that if I had heeded Uncle 'Rasmus's
advice we would not be in such great peril.

"The storm came in time to prevent us from making an effort to get
through the lines; but not sufficiently soon to stop us from setting
loose that miserable scoundrel, Abel Hunt, and the sneak Horry Sims."

"What?" Saul cried in a tone of mingled surprise and dismay. "Are they
at liberty?"

"Surely they are, for I obeyed Pierre's orders to the letter, despite
all Uncle 'Rasmus could say against it. The old man has more sense in
his black head than we, for he declared that such scoundrels should be
treated like rattlers, and no heed given to their possible sufferings."

"Then are we undone!" Saul cried helplessly. "The retreat has been
prevented by this tempest, for no boat can live on the river while the
storm rages as it does, and we know without being told that Cornwallis
will not attempt to send more troops across, at least until another
night has come. In the meanwhile Abel Hunt and Horry Sims will have laid
us by the heels, as they have threatened to do! It is only a matter of
accusing us of striving to get across the lines to tell our people what
has been done, when Lord Cornwallis will make certain we come to a
speedy end."

I believe even little Frenchie was daunted for the moment, as he came to
realize what our blunder, for it was not less, might mean; but h