“Oh, pshaw! Come along. Shut up. This is no time for you to be making promises. Come along, and keep your mouth shut.”
They seized him, and dragged him up the steps and through a door out into the darkness. There, at a little distance, were two horses, on one of which Andy Stamper sprang, while the other man made Leech mount up behind him; and then, springing on the other horse himself, they set off at a sharp trot. As they mounted, Leech recognized Jacquelin Gray. He nearly fell from his horse.
As they followed wood-paths he began to have a dim hope; not much, however, for he could not think that these two men could intend him any good. Once, as they were on a road, the sound of horses’ feet ahead reached them, and the two riders instantly left the road and struck into the bushes.
“If you get out of this,” said Andy Stamper, “and get back safe to your friends, will you swear you’ll never say a word about it to anybody? Never a single——?”
“Yes, I’ll swear. I swear before——” said the prisoner, so quickly that the other had not time to finish his question.
“That you will never tell anyone a word about this place, or how you got here, or how you were taken, or anything?”
“Yes, yes. I swear before G—d I never will—never a word. I swear I won’t.”
“Let’s see. How will you swear it?” asked the other, reflectively.
“I’ll swear it on the Bible. I’ll swear on a stack of Bibles.”