“Whoever says that is a liar; but even though he had made the fullest explanations, I would not reveal the plans to you. You must think I’m a mighty poor kind of a soldier if I don’t know how to die rather than play the traitor.”
“You’ll soon have a chance of proving what you can do!” the third man cried angrily, and then it was he stepped forward, leaving Isaac free to do as he thought best.
That these three Tories were bent on hanging the old soldier, or at least so nearly doing so as to frighten him into disclosing all he knew regarding Colonel Allen’s plans, there could be no question, and young Rice, 51 trembling with fear though he was, had no other thought than as to how it might be possible for him to aid his comrade.
It did not seem probable the men were ignorant regarding the boy’s presence, and the only explanation which can be made as to why they failed to secure him is that he was so nearly a child as to appear of but little consequence. They evidently had no thought that he could in any way thwart their purpose, and, therefore, no heed was given to him.
It can readily be imagined that Isaac did not waste much time in speculations as to why he was allowed to remain at liberty.
Now was come the moment when he might repay some portion of the debt he believed he owed Corporal ’Lige, and the only anxiety in his mind was lest he should not do it in proper military fashion.
He could not even so much as guess what a genuine soldier would do under the same circumstances; but he had a very good idea as to how a boy might extricate himself from such a difficulty, and lost no time in beginning the work.
The three men were so busily engaged trying to frighten the corporal into telling them what he might know of Colonel Allen’s forces as not to heed the noise Isaac made when he rolled himself toward the bushes in that direction where the two muskets had been set up against a tree under the foliage in such manner that they might not be affected by the dew.
It was impossible for him to say exactly what these intruders were doing to Corporal ’Lige, but, from the noises, he judged they had first made a prisoner of the old man by seizing him around the throat, perhaps while 53 he was yet asleep, and now there was every indication that they were making ready to carry out the threat of hanging.
“Give him another chance to tell what he knows,” one of the men cried, and immediately afterward the old soldier replied: