"How much wrong would you have done had we not set upon you the night the force at Greene's Spring were to be massacred?" Evan asked sternly. "When we were again captured was it in your mind to treat us as friends?"
"I would not have killed you."
"Then you lied in order to frighten us."
"I did want to make you weaken, but had no thought of doing you a wrong."
"Such a controversy is useless, and we have not the time to spend upon it," Nathan interrupted. "Colonel Clarke's men are doubtless eager to meet with this Tory who devoted so much of his time to them, and if it so be we are forced to continue on in order to gain information concerning the Britishers, we can do no other than deliver him up to them."
"What is it you want to know?" Ephraim asked, a ray of hope coming into his eyes.
"We are sent to learn concerning the British forces. How many there are, where they are encamped, and such other matters as may be necessary for the guidance of those who direct the attack."
"Is there to be a battle?" Ephraim asked eagerly.
"Not before we have had time to deliver you over to those who will thank us for so doing."
The gleam of hope died away very suddenly, and the spy, knowing full well what would likely be his fate, did he fall into the hands of the men who would have been killed or captured had his plans not failed, now gave evidence of the liveliest terror.