I am older now than I was that night, and during the course of a long and eventful life have had more than my share of excitement and adventure; but I do not believe that I was ever more nearly overcome with fear than I was while I stood there looking at the crowd of men and boys who were gathered about our camp-fire.
I had good cause for alarm. In the first place, I was mistaken for my brother, and I knew that nearly every person before me held a grudge against him for something he had done. Tom Mason would want revenge for the thrashing Mark had given him a long time ago; Pete, the head man among the half-breeds, had been pulled down and thoroughly shaken by the dogs, and that was something he did not intend to overlook, as I knew by the experience I had already had with him that day. Barney and the rest of the Swamp Dragoons imagined that our fellows had heaped a great many indignities upon them, and they would certainly settle their accounts now; Jim would probably have something to say concerning the hard fall I had given him a few minutes before, and lastly, there was Luke Redman! I expected to suffer severely at his hands.
Barney, who was highly elated at the result of the encounter that had made me his prisoner, lost no time in hunting up his companions and revealing to them his good fortune.
They all yelled exultantly when their chief directed their attention to me, and after a short consultation with him and Tom Mason, they came forward in a body. Barney and Tom led the way, each of them carrying a riding whip in his hand.
I saw by the expression on their faces that something was going to happen.
CHAPTER XII.
TOM IS ASTONISHED.
When the Swamp Dragoons reached the place where I was standing, they gathered about me, and looked inquiringly at Tom Mason, as if waiting for him to say something. The latter advanced with a grin on his countenance, peered sharply into my face, and then looked at me from head to foot, as if taking my exact measure.
When he had completed his examination, he stepped back, and striking his boots with his riding-whip, said:
“Do you remember what I told you the last time I saw you, Mark Coleman? I said I was going to make things exceedingly lively for you this winter, didn’t I? Well, I think I have done it. You can thank me for every thing that has happened to you.”
“It’s him, then, is it?” exclaimed Barney. “Them fellers look as near alike as two peas, an’ I was a’most afeared we had gobbled up the wrong chap.”