"Will not hurt them, sir"—
Then came a pause, followed by a hail I could just distinguish as the vessels neared each other.
"Keep them until his lordship has time to look into the matter," said the voice faintly in the distance.
"Aye, aye, sir," bawled Mr. Rose.
"Hold on," I cried desperately, "tell him who we are and let us go ashore. This outrage has gone far enough"—
"Kape quiet, ye gentleman, or I'll be for jabbing yez with me baynit," growled private Rooney, and he held the point against my ribs.
"It's no use," said Barron, smiling pleasantly, "we are in for some sport. It's a wonder, though, that his lordship didn't recognize me from that lieutenant's description"—
"Ef yez opin that ugly mug agin, afore the lootinant comes below, I'll cut off yer elephant years and jam them into it," said the soldier, Rooney. And then we kept quiet while the schooner drove steadily along up the river. Sometimes she tacked around the bends and sometimes she flew along with the wind fair, but before dark we knew by the sound of the rushing water, that could be distinctly heard through her sides, she had traveled many miles, and we were a long way from Judkins' Hall.
Just before coming to an anchor for the night the forecastle pivot-gun was fired at some hostile object, and there appeared to be some excitement on deck, but this soon subsided. Then the anchor chain roared through the hawse pipe and the sound of rushing water ceased. Men began to swarm below, and it was evident that the schooner had made her run for the day, and that unless Lord Dunmore interested himself quickly in our behalf we would spend the night uncomfortably.
It was late in the evening when the sergeant who had captured us came below. He made his way to where we lay through the crowd of sailors and soldiers who were sitting about talking and eating their evening meal, and looking at us.