For a time they attracted no special notice, but it was impossible that this should continue.
"Oh, the scand'lous villains!" muttered Aunt Peggy, applying her favorite epithet to the Tories; "how I would like to wring their necks! I've no doubt that Jake Golcher is among them. The idea of his coming to our house to court you—"
"There, there," interrupted Maggie, "this is no time to speak of such things; Jacob Golcher is among them, for I saw him a few minutes ago, and we may need his friendship."
"I'd like to see me—"
"There's Gravity!" broke in Eva, clapping her hands. The other two, turning their heads, saw that she spoke the truth.
The bulky negro servant of the family came limping toward them with his smoking musket in hand. He was bare-headed, like Maggie and Eva, and his garments were badly torn. He was panting from his severe exertion, and the perspiration streamed down his dusty face.
"Where's father?" was the first question Maggie asked, as he drew near.
"Can't tell," was the reply; "when I last seed him, he was fightin' like all creation, and graderlly workin' off toward the woods."
"Then there is hope for him!" exclaimed Maggie, looking yearningly at the servant, as if asking for another word of encouragement.
"Hope for him? Course dere am, and so dere am for you if you hurry out ob dis place."