"It seemed to me necessary you should regain all your strength, that you might be able to meet the disaster which I feel is near upon us. There have been times when I was tempted to call for Uncle 'Rasmus, insisting he send you out at once; but I was checked by the thought that you had already endured much of labor and should be allowed the slumber which was needed."
"Nothing could be necessary at such a time as this, save that I went out in search of my cousin!" I cried, almost beside myself with grief and apprehension, for there was no longer any doubt in my mind but that Saul was either a prisoner in the hands of the red-coated soldiers, or else lay somewhere in the village wounded grievously, perhaps unto death.
"Now that you have come I will search throughout this entire town," and Pierre sprang to his feet as if to descend the ladder, whereupon I caught him frantically by the coat, for at that instant a horrible dread seized upon me, lest I be left alone with that Tory villain and have so much of temptation that it would be impossible to keep my hands from him.
"Why should we not both go?" I cried. "Why is it necessary one stay here when Uncle 'Rasmus may stand guard at the foot of the ladder?"
"Now you are talking wildly. Suppose we both went out, and Horry Sims, hearing footsteps, should go to one of the windows and cry for help? How would it be possible for Uncle 'Rasmus, old and crippled as he is, to prevent the mischief?"
"Then we will gag the Tory scoundrel and truss him up so he can neither move hand nor foot!" I cried. "Is he to stand in the way of our searching for Saul? Is he, after having done us whatsoever mischief lay in his power, to hold us back when perhaps the dear lad is needing us so sorely?"
"Don't gag me! Don't gag me!" Horry cried frantically. "I promise to make no sound, nor so much as lift a finger, if you will leave me free; but to have that gag in my mouth all night, would be murder."
"And so it would," Pierre added emphatically. "I believe both of us ought to go in search of Saul; but this fellow, Tory though he be, should not be forced to endure so much of suffering as would be his if you left him gagged and bound."
"What then will you do with him?" I asked, speaking more like a mad man than a lad who counted it would be possible for him to prove that he might be of service to the Cause through playing the part of Minute Boy. "Surely we can't hoist Uncle 'Rasmus up here into the loft."
"No; but we can take Horry Sims downstairs," Pierre replied quietly, and I cried in alarm: