"We can be certain he'll look after himself, no matter how we may fare."
Then we stood waiting in silence until it should be certain that Darius had really abandoned us, when my father said, striving to suppress any evidence of the pain which he suffered:
"You lads are making a big mistake if you think Darius Thorpe would leave you at such a time as this. He has ever had the name of holding to a comrade, and he'll not steer another course while we're in so much danger."
Five minutes later I was covered with shame because of my unkind words, when we saw the old man returning with as much hay as he could stagger under.
"Here's what will make our cripple a bit more comfortable," he said cheerily as he thrust his burden through the narrow door. "Pile it well up under him, an' I'll go back for the rest of the supplies."
None of us lads made any comment when Darius returned toward the tavern; but that all hands were conscious of the same sense of shame as had come over me, I understood by the expression on their faces.
When the old man joined us the second time he had in his arms the larger part of a ham, some strips of cotton cloth, and a jug of water.
"How did you get all that stuff?" Jerry asked in surprise.
"Traded the mule. When I was drivin' the beast off it struck me that he might be made to serve us a bit, so I drove a bargain."
"Did you give the people to understand that he was yours?"