"And a most remarkable man he was, too," put in Captain Foy.
"He did show more or less nerve of a peculiar order," said Graham.
"How was that?" asked Will.
"Well, you see," said Captain Graham, "we went ashore on the island to reconnoitre, as we had heard of the large gathering at Williamsburg. The first thing that greeted us on landing was a couple of rifle shots. These appeared to come from the bushes near Jacquelin's house, and one of them struck poor Billings in the pit of the stomach and passed through him, poor fellow. We finally made a landing a little farther up stream, where there was more cover, and the first thing we encountered on getting ashore was a motely crowd of farmers, armed and ready to fight us. There was one fellow, I believe they called him 'Bullet,' who is a fierce rebel, and another mounted on a powerful bay mare, who rode with his left arm in a sling and had a strangely attired negro servant to carry a couple of rifles for him. These were the only dangerous men in the crowd, for the rest had no organization and appeared to obey no commander, so they quickly broke and fled at the first fire. Four of them remained, however, and these two I have just described were the ones who cut their way through our men with their swords and escaped. The other two were captured, for they refused either to run or cease fighting. One was Jacquelin, who owns the house, and the other a man named Horn. Fordyce was coming up just then and I turned them over to him. He tried to get some information about Mr. Henry's mob out of both of them. Jacquelin had his fingers punched with a belt punch without so much as saying a word, and the fellow, Horn, was seated on a hot stove until the breeches and skin were burnt off his buttocks, but all he did during that time was to curse His Majesty most heartily. Fordyce started to keel-haul him, and had the line made fast to his hands passed under the schooner's bottom, but somehow the line fouled just as he was drawn under the bilge, and by the time they cleared it and pulled him aboard again he was as dead as a mackerel. After Jacquelin had his turn, he offered to lead us to Williamsburg, or anywhere else we wished to go, and the beggar told a yarn about some good wine in his cellar the men had failed to find. We stopped at his house again, and four of us went with him to find the stuff. He did have a door we had overlooked and he showed it to us. The cellar was full of this stuff you see before you, and while we stood at the entrance admiring the flasks the rascal shoved all four suddenly inside the door and banged it to and locked it. Then he started across the island like a scared rabbit. That's the last anyone saw of him, for, as usual in such cases, by the time the men heard us and saw what had happened, he was too far off to hit and there wasn't a man there who shot within a fathom of him."
"That must have been a very interesting affair," said Will, somewhat coldly, "but if you are through I would like to go to bed. I am a little fatigued from the day's excitement. No thanks! I do not care for any more wine. I hope your excellency will excuse me." And he rose from his chair.
Lord Dunmore looked sharply at Byrd, and appeared a trifle annoyed, but he said nothing.
It was easy to see that Will's sentiments were not exactly in accord with our hosts, and that a strained relationship would exist between them if something were not done quickly. It was evident that Lord Dunmore expected us to accompany him as loyal subjects on the morrow, and I knew it would need some keen acting on our part to enable us to avoid giving up our residence at the Hall and becoming refugees for an indefinite period. My heart was anything but light when I thought of Harrison,—with the ruffian Fordyce to back him,—having things his own way down the river. But as I only thought of Berk as a misguided gentleman, a little over-zealous in his duty to the King, the only trouble I anticipated was some obstacle I felt he would place in our way when he found we wished to remain at home. At all events, I knew I must not antagonize Dunmore, or he would fail to put us ashore the next day as we hoped he would. Therefore I reached for poor Jacquelin's wine and drank his excellency's health, and Barron needed no urging to follow my example.
Will remained standing until I explained that he was suffering from the shock of the discharge from Cahill's pivot-gun, whereupon the Governor was much amused and laughed immoderately as I described how the ball covered us with sand and gravel. Then we finished the bottle, and after bidding his excellency good night, the steward ushered us into the officers' cabin where a state-room had been made ready for us.
As soon as we were left alone, Will burst forth into a perfect torrent of abuse against Dunmore and his underlings. Barron and I tried to stop him lest some one should hear the noise, but it was only after he had called them every villainous name he could think of that he at last consented to keep quiet. As for myself, I have said before that the Judkins family were not of a nervous or excitable disposition, and are not carried away by wild and insane thoughts of mistaken patriotism, but I had decided that evening that the King would soon have another enemy of my acquaintance. By the present state of the feelings of both Barron and Byrd, I thought it highly probable that there would be several more.
Will finally turned in and I did likewise, for we were very tired. Barron sat a long time apparently lost in thought, holding his half-removed boot in his hands. Then he spoke.