“Robert took a ramrod, and fastened the white scarf upon it. Ordering his men to cease firing, the young man passed into the parade and called to Van Zandt.
“Why are you here again?” he demanded, angrily.
“To ask you to yield. Why should we shed blood, when nothing can be gained? Open your doors and let us enter.”
“You ask in vain,” was the stern answer; “you want the girls, I suppose; but you shall never see the face of Katrine, and Theresa has bid good-by forever to your friend Barlow. So away with you if you would save them trouble.”
“If you could look into the room where you placed the girls, you would see a broken casement and an empty cage. The girls are safe in our hands.”
“A Yankee horse-trader’s lie.”
“Go and see.”
Van Zandt rushed away and tried the door of Theresa’s room; it was fast bolted. He soon dashed a hole in it with the butt of his heavy rifle, and saw the empty cage of which the other had spoken: the nest was warm, but the birds had flown.
He went back and whispered to Carl; their conference over, Van Zandt went again to the window.