er to the poor old negro, if
we could not venture further and further inside the lines until, should
fortune favor us, we might be able to go whithersoever we desired.

At all events, with Uncle 'Rasmus dwelling in the town--with Uncle
'Rasmus ill and needing our attention, we would be enabled to spend our
time in York without arousing even the suspicions of that miserable
snake whom people call Horry Sims.

Of course, so far as the little scoundrel was concerned, he might well
wonder how it chanced that Uncle 'Rasmus had gone into the town of York,
for whenever any of the lads had come around the Hamilton plantation
they had been accustomed to seeing the old negro sitting in his favorite
place in the stable-yard; but I could see now as the scheme came home to
me, that it would be possible, in case Horry Sims made inquiries, to let
it be understood that Uncle 'Rasmus had gone there some days before my
Lord Cornwallis's army entered the town, being stricken so ill he could
not be safely moved.

In fact, I saw nothing but brightness in the future, and all through
this old negro whom I had seen sitting in the stable-yard chewing straw
day after day until he had come to seem much like one of the dogs or the
horses, having no mind of his own; but implicitly obeying the will of
his master.

Having come to fully understand all of benefit which might accrue to us
in this move of Uncle 'Rasmus, I would have aided the old negro to the
best of my ability, and insisted that he wait until I go to this
plantation or that where I might borrow a horse to carry him; but he
would have none of it.

He was bent on entering the town of York in his own way, and alone. The
only assistance he would agree to, was that we might carry his blankets
and scanty store of provisions a certain portion of the distance, and
when I would have insisted on bringing out some delicacies from the
house, he positively refused to accept them, whereupon I urged almost
angrily to be allowed to do as I pleased, until little Frenchie, whose
head is ever clear, said to me laughingly:

"Can't you understand, you thick-headed Fitz, that it would be strange
if Uncle 'Rasmus was disabled in old Mary's cabin with all sorts of
delicacies in the way of food? If the Britishers should grow suspicious
and look into the matter, wouldn't they think it odd the old man had
been allowed to remain in that hovel while there were yet horses in the
stables of the Hamilton planta