It was as if Master Morgan understood that if we were given much time for thought there was fear of our growing timorous, for no sooner had we disposed of Abel Hunt than he called for all to come to the floor below where he could have speech with us, saying at the same time that the prisoners could effect nothing toward their release, even though it were possible for them to cry out, because while the cannon were roaring and one could hear the crackle of musketry from seemingly every point, the strongest lunged man who ever lived could not have made his voice heard an hundred paces away.
"It has come time for me to take leave of you, lads," the Jerseyman said much to my surprise, and I interrupted him by crying out, for it was to my mind as if the moment he departed we were standing in even more imminent danger of death than we did at that instant.
"I thought you were not counting to make the venture until midnight," I cried.
"That was in my mind, lad, when matters were quiet here within the entrenchments; but from the sounds of conflict it would seem as if the Britishers had all they could attend to without looking after a man here or there. I count on making my way very near the outer works, where I shall await an opportunity of slipping through the lines."
"Think you it will be possible to do so?" Pierre asked thoughtfully, and the Jerseyman replied without a tremor in his voice:
"I am of the mind, lad, that the odds are strongly against it, and yet must the venture be made. I have the hope that if death comes to me you may have knowledge regarding it, so that that which I have failed in may be carried on by one of you. It is not a time to think of taking precautions to save our own lives; but rather to try how we may so sacrifice them that by our dying we shall have benefitted the Cause."
Even while he was speaking in such a strain as to bring tears to the eyes of us all, little Frenchie, ever realizing what should be done, was unbarring the door, and when he had finished the task the Jerseyman went out without so much as turning to look at us. Never a word did he speak, but went quickly into the open air as if eager to rid himself of our company.
Only those who have been in a like situation can understand our feelings at this moment when we were left alone, and knew that the man who stood our friend, had gone most like to his death.
We remained silent and motionless, not daring to gaze at each other, much like a band of mourners who have gathered around the lifeless body of a dear friend, and so we would have stood there until all the courage oozed out from our hearts, had it not been for dear little Frenchie, himself quite as brave a man and as good a patriot as the one who had just left us.
Regardless of the sorrow in his own heart, and of the forebodings which I knew must be his, he put on a cheerful face, saying as he righted Uncle 'Rasmus's chair which had been overturned during the struggle: