I got away as soon as I could, and as I waited for Esau to come, I began now to think that I was not doing right. But I drove the thoughts away in a reckless fashion. Esau would laugh at me, I thought, and, full of determination now, I was glad when he came.

“Well,” he said; “mean to go?”

“Mean to go? Of course!”

“’Cause they’re going to be on the look-out pretty sharp, so Grey says, and they’ve got orders to fire at any one strange.”

“To fire?” I said, feeling rather startled.

“Yes; so if we get fired at when we go, and fired at when we get there, it’s bound to be a lively sort of a time.”

I was silent.

“Well, what do you think of it now?” said Esau, as I did not speak. “Going?”

“Do you want to hang back, Esau?” I said, huskily.

“No; I’ll stick to you, o’ course.”