“Many of the friends of Congress in this county,” the man proceeded, “wish the horse was led by some other officer. For my part, if I could only be covered by a troop now and then, I could do many an important piece of service to the cause, to which this capture of the peddler would be a trifle.”
“Indeed! such as what?”
“For the matter of that, it could be made as profitable to the officer as it would be to us who did it,” said the Skinner, with a look of the most significant meaning.
“But how?” asked Lawton, a little impatiently, and quickening his step to get out of the hearing of the rest of the party.
“Why, near the royal lines, even under the very guns of the heights, might be good picking if we had a force to guard us from De Lancey’s[[8]] men, and to cover our retreat from being cut off by the way of King’s Bridge.”
“I thought the Refugees took all that game to themselves.”
“They do a little at it; but they are obliged to be sparing among their own people. I have been down twice, under an agreement with them: the first time they acted with honor; but the second they came upon us and drove us off, and took the plunder to themselves.”
“That was a very dishonorable act, indeed; I wonder that an honorable man will associate with such rascals.”
“It is necessary to have an understanding with some of them, or we might be taken; but a man without honor is worse than a brute. Do you think Major Dunwoodie is to be trusted?”
“You mean on honorable principles?”