“He’s a fool!” said Katy tartly. “Harvey might be a man of substance, were he not so disregardful. How often have I told him, that if he did nothing but peddle, and would put his gains to use, and get married, so that things at home could be kept within doors, and leave off his dealings with the rig’lars, and all incumberments, that he would soon become an excellent liver. Sergeant Hollister would be glad to hold a candle to him, indeed!”
“Pooh!” said Betty, in her philosophical way; “ye’re no thinking that Mister Hollister is an officer, and stands next the cornet, in the troop. But this piddler gave warning of the brush the night, and it’s no sure that Captain Jack would have got the day, but for the reënforcement.”
“How say you, Betty,” cried the trooper, bending forward on his saddle, “had you notice of our danger from Birch?”
“The very same, darling; and it’s hurry I was till the boys was in motion; not but I knew ye’re enough for the Cowboys any time. But wid the divil on your side, I was sure of the day. I’m only wondering there’s so little plunder, in a business of Beelzeboob’s contriving.”
“I’m obliged to you for the rescue, and equally indebted to the motive.”
“Is it the plunder? But little did I t’ink of it till I saw the movables on the ground, some burnt, and some broke, and other some as good as new. It would be convanient to have one feather bed in the corps, anyway.”
“By heavens, ’twas timely succor! Had not Roanoke been swifter than their bullets, I must have fallen. The animal is worth his weight in gold.”
“It’s continental, you mane, darling. Goold weighs heavy, and is no plenty in the states. If the nagur hadn’t been staying and frighting the sargeant with his copper-colored looks, and a matter of blarney ’bout ghosts, we should have been in time to have killed all the dogs, and taken the rest prisoners.”
“It is very well as it is, Betty,” said Lawton. “A day will yet come, I trust, when these miscreants shall be rewarded, if not in judgments upon their persons, at least in the opinions of their fellow citizens. The time must arrive when America will distinguish between a patriot and a robber.”
“Speak low,” said Katy; “there’s some who think much of themselves, that have doings with the Skinners.”