“You can see now it is for your interest as well as mine that we make friends. Tom’s safety and mine are both the same thing. The best you can do is to take good care of me to-day, and at night help me to make my way over to the other side of the river.”
“Then yer be a Yank?”
“I didn’t say so. Tom can go with me if he likes. He will be safer there than here.”
“Tom?”
“If he is a deserter from the rebel army, he will be caught sooner or later, and be shot. He will be safe on the other side of the river.”
“Go over to the Yanks! He hates ’em wurs’n pizin. Don’t yer, Tom?”
“Bet yer life I do, dad,” replied the hopeful son. “I won’t go over thar, nohow.”
“Just as he pleases about that. I only wanted to do him a friendly act.”
“Well, stranger, I don’t mind keepin’ yer to-day; but Tom can’t go with yer.”
“Very well; then I will stay in this room; and, if the soldiers come, I can go up the chimney with Tom,” replied Somers. “I’m tired and sleepy. Didn’t sleep a wink last night. I will take a nap on the floor. You will wake me, Tom, if there’s any danger; won’t you?”