"Kill him, chile? Sure not. What for I kill him?"
"But where is he?" Pierre demanded, and I understood from the quick, nervous tones that he had been equally alarmed with me by the old man's words.
For reply Uncle 'Rasmus went to that end of the room near the fireplace where he raised a short length of the flooring, and there we who gathered around in breathless anxiety, saw Horry Sims lying upon the earth, bound as we had left him, in a narrow space between the puncheons which had evidently at some time been hollowed out as an apology for a store-room.
"How did you get him down there, Uncle 'Rasmus?" I cried, for I had not believed the old man sufficiently strong to perform such a task.
"I done roll him ober, chile, I done roll him ober. Don you see, honey, I didn' dare keep him whar de sogers might see him, so I'se boun' to get him out ob sight. I'd seen dat yere hole befo', an' sence de shootin' begun I 'low he was mighty glad to be under cover."
"Can't you take me out of here?" Horry asked imploringly. "I've been tied up so long that my legs and arms are numb and aching. I promise not to open my mouth and to do whatsoever you say, if these ropes can be taken off for ever so short a time."
"That's what they shall be," Pierre said quickly. "We have no desire to cause you suffering, Horry Sims, and never counted on being forced to remain away so long; but matters couldn't have been changed, for of course we must think of our own safety before consulting your comfort. Now, however, you will have a chance to move around."
As he spoke so Pierre did, and when I would have argued with him that it was unsafe to let the Tory lad have the freedom of the cabin even while all of us were there to guard him, he shut me up in short order by declaring that unless we were disposed to give the prisoner something like fair treatment, he would insist on setting him free altogether.
"And when Abel Hunt has found us out, as I believe of a verity he will, then Horry is on exhibition where that meddlesome fellow may see him," I cried hotly, but Pierre, giving no heed to my words, released the Tory from his bonds.