“They are,” said Ethan.
“Englishmen will have to stand together to gain the victory over such enemies,” said the landlord, shaking his head. “And Englishmen in the service should trust one another; they shouldn’t be like the soldier who slept here over night. Do you know, he seemed afraid of you; and slipped away before you got up, without waiting for his breakfast. He said he’d take some bread and cheese to eat upon the road.”
When Ethan once more resumed his journey toward London, his mind was full of conjectures regarding this queer person in uniform. Several times during the day he felt confident that he caught a glimpse of the scarlet coat dodging behind hedges and haystacks. The lad became suspicious of this and left the highroad for a small and badly cut up wagon way which a farmer informed him would land him on the London road some ten miles farther on.
“I’ll be out of sight of him now,” said the young seaman, as he plodded along. “It can’t be that he suspects me for what I am; if that were so he’d have summoned help and taken me long ago. But I don’t like his actions for all that, and it’s best that I see no more of him.”
But his ruse to avoid any further meeting with the redcoat was not a success. Night brought him to another roadside hostelry, and the first person whom he saw, sitting upon a bench before the door, was that identical person. As they stood staring at each other in wondering surprise, Ethan noticed a sudden spasm of laughter sweep across the young man’s face; the thing seemed infectious for, unable to control himself, the young American threw back his head and burst into a peal that made the old inn ring and caused the white-capped landlady to come rushing out to see what was the matter.
The soldier regarded Ethan with somewhat puzzled eyes; it seemed that there was something about the boy that he did not quite understand, nor altogether trust.
“I see that you have followed my advice,” said he.
“Yes,” replied Ethan. “I am going to London.”
“You have chosen a rather out-of-the-way route,” said the soldier.
“Perhaps,” answered the other, “but the highroad is not always desirable.”