"That won't bother us any, for we're goin' to pull up stakes," Darius replied quietly.
"Are we to join the fleet?" I asked.
"It's the proper thing just now, I reckon, seein's there ain't likely to be anythin' new around here till the enemy pushes on up the river, which will be when he has floated some of his vessels."
Even after making this statement Darius appeared to be in no hurry to move on. He sat amid the foliage watching the throngs on the opposite side of the river until half a dozen officers came down close to the water's edge, having in their midst one in civilian's garb.
"There's a friend of yours," the old man said quietly as he motioned toward the group, "an' you can eat my head if I don't guess what's up."
My face flushed with answer as I looked in the direction indicated, and there saw in earnest converse with the Britishers, Elias Macomber, the traitor.
"He has joined his friends without losin' any time. I wish I could get my fingers around his throat for a couple of minutes!" Jerry cried, shaking his fist in impotent rage.
"An' I reckon you'll soon have that chance, lad," Darius said, calm and serene as a summer's morning. "Watch out now, an' you'll get an idee of the whole business, which will go to show that you didn't lose anythin' much when you left him at Hog Point. It wouldn't surprise me a little bit if he's had a good share in sendin' the ships aground, for he couldn't have told within ten feet, of the water to be found in the channel."
I failed to understand very much of what the old man referred to; but kept my eyes fixed on the opposite shore, and saw that Elias was making ready to embark in a canoe, which was hauled up near at hand.
"He's goin' back to see how many vessels are aground," Jerry suggested, and Darius added placidly: