I shall join you, of course," said my father, quietly; and, refusing
any refreshment, evidently to the great disgust of his men, who
exchanged glances which evidently meant breakfast, the colonel walked
off.

"See those two fellows, Master George?" whispered Morgan, as my father
stood gazing thoughtfully after the colonel.

"Yes; why?"

"Never see two look more hungry in my life. They'd have cleared us out,
see if they wouldn't. Good job there arn't many in the settlement like
'em."

"Why?" I said.

"Because we should soon be having a famine in the land. What are you
laughing at, lad?"

"You," I said, as I recalled a number of Morgan's performances with the
knife and fork.

He looked at me fiercely, and as if he were terribly offended; for
Morgan's Welsh blood had a way of bubbling up and frothing over like
mead; but directly after there was a bit of a twitch at one corner of
his mouth, then a few wrinkles started out at each side of his face
about the eyes, and began to spread all over till he was showing his
teeth.

"Ah, well, Master George," he said, "I can see through you. Perhaps I
aren't such a very bad trencherman. Sarah says I do eat. But what's
the harm? Man can't work well without; nor more can't a fire burn
without you keeps on putting plenty o' wood. But I say, my lad, when
those Injin fellows came down upon us, I began to think I should never
be hungry again. Did I look very much frightened?"

"No; I thought you looked very brave."

"Did I? Did you think so, Master George?"

"Yes; certainly."

"Now, you're not making fun of me, are you?"

"Certainly not."

"Well, come, I'm glad of that," said Morgan, brightening up; "because do
you know, Master George, 'twix' you and me, I don't think I'm quite so
good that way as I ought to be. I tried hard not to seem in a fright,
but I was in one all the same, and seemed to feel arrows sticking into
me, and them chopping at me with tomahawks. Wasn't pleasant, look you,
was it?"

"No, and it was no wonder."

"No, sir, it warn't. But I say, Master George, you didn't feel so bad
as that, did you?"

I glanced round to see if my father was within hearing, and then said
with a laugh--

"I'm afraid I felt ever so much worse."

"Then we'll shake hands over it," said Morgan; "but I say, Master
George, I'd give everything to know whether the master felt scared too."

"I don't think he did. Oh, I'm sure he did not. See how erect and firm