Jacob made no reply. He now understood how reckless he had been, and was chagrined at the idea of making a grievous mistake almost before they had begun their work.
"There is no reason why you should feel badly about it now," Enoch said, understanding the cause of his friend's silence. "We can look out for ourselves, I reckon, and there has been no real harm done even though he carried the information you gave him directly to General Clinton, for it isn't likely General Dickinson fancies he can keep his whereabouts a secret."
"Still I ought to have been more careful," Jacob replied penitently. "I should—"
The door at the extreme end of the hall was opened, and the man entered, holding a candle in his hand.
"I will show you to a room where you can remain until morning, and afterward bring you some food. Follow me," and he ascended the stairs which led out of the hall. "These are troublesome times, and one should be cautious about letting strangers into his house; but I don't fancy you three boys are disposed to do mischief."
"Indeed we're not," Seth replied. "We simply want a place in which to sleep, and shall go away very early in the morning. Perhaps it is too much to ask that you bring the food to our room?"
"Oh, no; I would have invited you into the kitchen, but we have sickness in the house, and it isn't well there should be any noise. Are the Continentals coming this way?"
"I don't know."
"But you have just left them."
"We have come from where the troops were," Seth replied cautiously.