“You are not teaching school, now, Mr. Miller?” said Mr. Santon, with a smile.
“No,” was the reply, “I guess that I won’t teach any more for a while. I have joined the patriot army.”
“I am glad to hear that.”
“You will be safe from the hands of the Tories of the settlement, anyway,” said Lizzie.
“Yes,” said Miller, “but I don’t believe you folks had better stay here. There will be a battle between the British and our army, possibly to-morrow, and it may take place right in this vicinity. So I have come to have you folks return with me to the patriot settlement, where you will be safe.”
“Do you really think we would be in danger here?” asked Mrs. Santon.
“Yes I do,” replied the young man. “When the battle begins, bullets will fly pretty thick, and as our army has two or three field-pieces, there may be a few cannon-balls flying through the air, and if the battle was to take place near here, the house might be riddled. You folks would doubtless be injured and would stand a chance, I fear, even to lose your lives.”
“Then let us go to the settlement with Mr. Miller,” said Mrs. Santon, who was of a somewhat nervous disposition.
“Very well,” said Mr. Santon. And then they gathered together such of the household effects as they might require, and set out for the settlement.
The Santons had friends in the settlement, and were taken into the home of one of the residents. Herbert Miller was much better satisfied than he would have been had they remained in their home.