within him
the instincts of a true man.

Silver Heels had come to know me as I knew her; at my faintest call she
would gallop to my side however tempting the grass when she was hungry,
and no dumb animal could have given greater proof of joy at being with
me, than did she time and time again when we scampered here or there,
bent only on pleasure.

I could not have said how long little Frenchie remained absent, for
neither Saul nor I took heed to the passage of time as we lay there amid
the foliage eating our hearts out with sorrow.

Certain it is, however, that the afternoon was well spent before we saw
him coming up the road, and our surprise can well be imagined when we
learned that he had with him as companion none other than Horry Sims.

"He has taken up with that snake of a Tory brood simply because of
believing that those on the Sims plantation stand higher in favor with
the red-coated soldiers than do we of the Hamilton plantation!" Saul
cried angrily, and so incautiously loud that I pressed my hand over his
mouth as I whispered in reproof:

"You have no right, Saul Ogden, to cast aught of discredit upon Pierre,
even though you have known him so short a time. He has shown himself a
good friend, and, to my satisfaction at least, has proved that he would
not turn traitor, more especially when it might be simply to his own
advantage."

Now little Frenchie knew full well where he had left us by the roadside,
for I saw him mark the dead cottonwood tree 'neath the foot of which we
were lying, and yet he went on his way past us, giving no heed, but
talking busily, and, as it seemed, interestedly with Horry Sims.

I must admit that just for the instant there came into my heart a great
fear lest that which Saul had said might be true, and then I thrust it
from me, saying in my mind that I would not so wrong a lad who had all
the marks of gentlemanly breeding. Surely, even though he might at some
other time be willing to play us false, he would not do so while we were
in such deep sorrow.

"If he is playing fair with us, why should he at this minute be hand in
glove with that Tory scoundrel?" Saul whispered hoarsely, as he sat up
to gaze after the two who were walking rapidly down the road in the
direction of our home. "Why did he not have speech with us? Surely he
knows where we are."

"To have spoken when he passed would have been to tell Horry Sims that
we were lying in hiding while he went into York Town to