"It is such work as this for which we left the camp," Percy said quietly, "and if the strangers are friends, we can atone for any rough handling by showing them the way to General Marion's camp."
This, so nearly as I can repeat it after these many years, was all that passed between us regarding the venture, and we set off on the trail without further delay.
There is less difficulty in successfully stalking a man than a deer, and this last had both Percy and I performed time and time again until it seemed to us like a simple task. Therefore it was that Gavin Witherspoon had no green hands to aid him in the work he had cut out.
Keeping so far in the rear as to hear the noise as they forced their way through the underbrush, and yet not so near that we might by any possibility be seen, the three of us followed this little company who might be friends, but were probably enemies, until the going down of the sun, when we knew from such sounds as came to us that they had halted.
Now it was only a matter of waiting, which, under almost any circumstances, is the most difficult task to perform patiently; yet every lad who has hunted wild turkeys is well schooled in such work, and it can safely be said that we did not risk a failure by being over-eager.
The men, although having advanced with but little caution, realized the fact that there might be enemies in the vicinity, for they forbore building a camp-fire, and this fact rendered our work rather more difficult than it otherwise would have been.
After it was certain they had settled down for the night we stole nearer and nearer, until it was possible to hear the conversation carried on in an ordinary tone, and then we remained motionless until the time for action should arrive.
When we were come thus far I believed we should hear such words as would declare whether these seven men were friends or enemies, and in this I was not disappointed, although we failed to learn anything of importance.
While eating supper one of them, in the course of the ordinary conversation concerning the tramp of the day, remarked:
"There is no probability we shall find any of the rebels during the next two or three days' march, for as yet we are among those who remain loyal to the king."