"So that you move quickly, we will wait until you can speak with either officer you name; but remember, Gavin, we are under orders to set off without delay."
"What have you in the way of weapons?"
Until this moment, strange as it may seem, I had entirely lost sight of the fact that we were virtually unarmed, and now I realized the folly of setting out so wholly unprepared.
"We must have ammunition if nothing more," I said hurriedly, "and while you are gone in search of the general, I will set about procuring it. Therefore the time spent in waiting for you will not be wasted."
Gavin Witherspoon now seemed to have every confidence that we would not slip away from him, and hurried off toward the other end of the encampment, while I went from one acquaintance to another in search of powder and ball.
In this quest I was more successful than had seemed possible.
Knowing that we lads had been entrusted with a mission, the men bestirred themselves to see that we were outfitted properly, and soon our store of ammunition was even greater than could be used to advantage.
We had two horns full of powder, thirty or forty balls, and a couple of pistols; more than that would have hampered our movements.
Perhaps no more than ten minutes had been spent in outfitting ourselves, and yet this time was sufficient for Gavin to make his preparations to accompany us, as was shown when he rode up while I was dividing the ammunition with Percy.
"Is it really your purpose to follow us?" I asked in surprise, for it had not seemed to me probable the old man would be allowed to join in the venture.