Mrs. Dare glanced out into the yard, and her heart gave a leap, and then sank as she saw several of their Tory neighbors sanding in a group a few yards from the house. She noted, with a feeling of fear gripping her heart, that two or three of them had rifles in their hands.
“W-what do you want, Mr. Boggs?” she asked, her voice trembling. “My husband is here, but–but–we were just going to eat supper, and—”
“Supper can wait a few minutes, wife,” said Mr. Dare. “I'll see what neighbor Boggs wants. Won't you come in, Abe?”
“No, we wanter see ye out here, Dare” replied the Tory. “Come out uv doors. We won't keep ye but a minnet.”
“Oh, husband, be careful!” whispered Mrs. Dare in her husband's ear as he passed her. “Don't anger them. They have weapons in their hands, and—” With a smile and a reassuring glance Mr. Dare passed on out, closing the door behind him. He had no fear whatever of his Tory neighbors, and would have scoffed at the idea of their trying to do him injury.
Dick and Tom were washing their faces and hands and combing their hair, and did not know anything about the coming of the Tories until they entered the room where their mother was, and then Mr. Dare had been out in the yard perhaps five minutes. During this time Mrs. Dare had been on the anxious seat, so to speak. She had been listening eagerly and anxiously, fearing she might hear rifle-shots, or the sound of a struggle, but no such sounds had come to her hearing. Still, she was not feeling very much reassured when the boys entered the room, and she told them about the coming of Abe Boggs and some more of the neighbors, and how they had called Mr. Dare out, on the plea of wishing to speak to him.
“He's been out there quite a while,” Mrs. Dare finished; “and I'm beginning to feel uneasy. I wish you would go out and tell father to come in, that supper is getting cold, Dick.”
“Certainly, mother,” said Dick, and he hastened to the door. The truth was, that a feeling of uneasiness had taken hold upon him when he heard what his mother had to say about the Tories, and, remembering the trouble he and Tom had had with Zeke Boggs and his cronies that afternoon in Philadelphia and on the road home, Dick was led to fear that the Tories had called his father out of doors with evil intent.
He opened the door and stepped quickly out, and Tom, who had also been assailed with fears for his father's safety, was close at his heels. They looked all around, but to their surprise, and to their alarm as well, there was no one in sight. Neither their father nor the Tories could be seen anywhere. It was so dark that the youths could not see any very great distance with distinctness, but they were confident that there was nobody in the back yard.
“They're around in the front yard, likely, Dick,” said Tom, but his tone lacked positiveness. It was evident that he had fears that such was not really the case.