“Certainly not; but the captain saw what manner of man he was, and so promoted him on the spot. I thought I had better tell you of this, so as to put you on your guard.”
“Thank you; and you may be sure that we shall take advantage of it. Captain Newman! How that sounds!”
As for Tom Howe, he was almost beside himself with fury. When Leon punched him in the ribs and asked him what he thought about it, he simply shook his head and said nothing. After awhile he inquired: “Was Cale there?”
“Yes, Cale was there, but he didn’t have much to say.”
“No matter. He was knowing to it all, and he would have been the worst one in the lot if he had only dared.”
“What would you have done, Robert?” asked Leon of his rebel friend, although the latter hadn’t made any remark thus far.
“What would I have done if they had laid alongside the road and tried to capture us?” replied Dawson, and there was much more determination in his words than Leon had ever noticed before. “Well, sir, I wouldn’t have been here now. Didn’t you hear me say that I would drop before I would be captured? I meant every word of it. If I should be taken prisoner I would only be hanged, and I would rather be shot than that.”
“Well, boys, I have seen enough to make me believe that the rebels have gone home,” said Mr. Dawson. “Now let’s go and find your mother and see how much luck we will have in getting by the sentries.”
“Oh, we won’t have any trouble there,” said Leon. “I’ve got the password.”
“Yes; but it won’t be of any use to you in broad daylight.”