"You are to go back now and release Abel Hunt," I said, after having explained to him as much as I thought necessary, although I took care to have the lad understand that his British friends were retreating.
"And after that has been done?" Horry asked as if counting that he must continue to obey me however the circumstances might be changed.
"When you have released Abel you may go whithersoever you please."
"And do you count that the time will never come, Fitzroy Hamilton, when I can repay you, Saul Ogden and that French boy for what you have done?" the young Tory cried as soon as I had removed the bonds from his hands, his courage reviving immediately he was free of limb, and the anger which he had been bottling up while he was helpless, pouring from his mouth in a torrent of words as he threatened this, that and the other, which should come to me and mine.
"I have no care as to what you can do, Horry Sims," I said, holding him by the shoulder so he should not be able to leave until I had given him due warning. "Remember you this, that the next time you come across my path with any intent of evil, or with any token that you would raise your hand against me, from that moment what you have already suffered as a prisoner will be as nothing compared with the punishment we lads will deal out. Now that your friends the Britishers are being driven from the soil of Virginia your fangs are gone. If you have any commonsense in that Tory head of yours you will keep a still tongue, and never raise your hand against any of the people in this colony."
Then I released the cur, and watched for an instant to see that he went straight back toward the cabin, after which I turned about to rejoin Uncle 'Rasmus, and at that instant it was as if all nature had suddenly been convulsed.
Because of my excitement, and owing to the fact that I was so intent upon that which was to be done, I had given no heed to the tokens in the sky, and the clouds may have been gathering half an hour or more without my knowledge. Certain it is, however, that on the instant, and suddenly as the lightning's flash, came the roar of a tempest that shook the half-ruined houses nearabout until the last timbers were overthrown, and I was forced to exert all my strength in order to stand against that furious blast. Then came peal upon peal of thunder, which drowned the roaring of the guns, for our people were yet firing upon the doomed village in order to show the Britishers that they were on the alert.
The vibration of the thunder had hardly died away when the lightning flashed great sheets of flame across the eastern sky, illumining the river whereon boats were plying to and fro, and showing clear as in a mirror the red-coats massed upon the banks awaiting their turn to go across to Gloucester Point.
After that came a downpour of water, when the wind drove the rain-drops in solid sheets, as you might say, which stung one's face like thousands of needles. The roaring of thunder, for after the first outburst of the tempest it seemed to be almost continuous, the blinding flashes of light, together with the deluge of water, all served to confuse one, and I believe I stood there struggling against the elements to hold my footing, a full minute before gathering my wits sufficiently to turn about in order to rejoin Uncle 'Rasmus.
"For de Lawd's sake, honey, am de earth turnin' upside down?" the old man cried when I came to where he stood exposed to all the fury of the tempest, for he dared not remain amid the ruins of the building where great timbers were being flung about by the wind like straws. "What's Gin'ral Cornwallis gone done to bring on dis yere ter'ble racket?"