Peyton here forgot
his wound and attempted to sit upright, but quickly fell back with a
grimace and a groan.

"Better lie still, sir," counselled Williams, sagely. "If you need any
one, you are to call Cuff. He will be in waiting in that hall, sir."
And the steward pointed towards the east hall. "There will be no use
trying to get away. I doubt if you could walk half across the room
without fainting. And if you could get out of the house, you'd find
black Sam on guard, with his duck-gun,--and Sam doesn't miss once in
a hundred times with that duck-gun. Bring those things, Cuff."
Williams indicated Peyton's hat, remnant of sword, and scabbard, which
had been placed on the armchair by the fireside.

"Leave my sword!" commanded Peyton.

"Can't, sir!" said Williams, affably. "Miss Elizabeth's orders were to
take it away."

Williams thereupon went from the room, crossed the east hall, and
entered the dining-room, to report to Elizabeth, who now sat at supper
with Miss Sally and Mr. Valentine.

Cuff, with basin of water in one hand, took up the hat, sword, and
scabbard, with the other.

"Miss Elizabeth!" mused Peyton. "Queen Elizabeth, I should say, in
this house. Gad, to be a girl's prisoner, tied down to a sofa by so
small a cut!" Hereupon he addressed Cuff, who was about to depart:
"Where is your mistress?"

"In the dining-room, eating supper."

"And Mr. Colden, whom I saw in that hall about an hour ago, when I
bought the horse?"

"Major Colden rode back to New York."

"_Major_ Colden! Major of what?"

"New Juzzey Vollingteers, sir."

"What? Then he is in the King's service, after all? And when I was
here with my troops he said he was neutral. I'll never take a Tory's
word again."

"Am you like to hab de chance, sir?" queried Cuff, with a grin.

"What! You taunt me with my situation?" And Harry's head shot up from
the sofa as he made to rise and chastise the boy; but he could not
stand on his leg, and so remained sitting, propped on his right arm,
panting and glaring at the negro.

Cuff, whose whiteness of teeth had shown in his moment of mirth, now
displayed much whiteness of eye in his alarm at Peyton's movement, and
glided to the door. As he went out to the hall, he passed Molly, who
was coming into the parlor with a bowl of broth.

"Hah!" ejaculated Peyton as she came towards him. "They would feed the
animal for the slaughter, eh?"

Molly curtseyed.

"Please, sir, it wa'n't they sent this. I b