Hearing this Sandy dropped on his knees, begging the general not to send him outside the lines of the encampment lest he be killed, and, after waiting a moment without hearing anything by way of suggestion as to what should be done with the fellow, Sidney said:
"If it please you, Master Hamilton, Clare and I will take charge of him until to-morrow. I think he will do as we command, and it's only a question of keeping him away from the visitors."
"You may take him and welcome," the general said in a tone of relief. "It may not be safe to make too great a display of the rascal even in camp, for we have among us many whom he has wofully distressed."
"Always acting under orders, sir, always under orders!" Sandy cried, yet on his knees.
"You would be more of a man if you took your orders from a different source," the general said sharply, and then motioned for us to lead him away.
"You lads have saved my life," Sandy began when we three were walking toward the lean-to Sidney and I had built, "and if I can ever do anything in return, you shall understand that I know how to be grateful."
"We've done nothing for which we expect to be rewarded," Sidney replied with a gesture of impatience. "You can't fancy that we bear you any very good-will, therefore what we did was for the good of the colony."
"Never mind why you did it; I shall never forget what I owe."
Then we were come to the lean-to, and once there the question arose as to what we should do with our charge. If he was left to wander around the encampment alone, some of the men would undoubtedly ill-treat him, and we were not disposed to waste time which should be spent in the company of our dear ones, looking after him.
It was Sandy himself who solved the question for us, by saying: