scal appeared in person to claim
his property.

[Footnote 88: unsuccessful.]

The patrol departed, and the captain slowly returned to his quarters
with an intention of retiring to rest. A figure moving rapidly among
the trees in the direction of the wood whither the Skinners had
retired caught his eye, and, wheeling on his heel, the cautious
partisan approached it, and, to his astonishment, saw the washerwoman
at that hour of the night, and in such a place.

As the captain entered his quarters the sentinel at the door inquired
if he had met Mrs. Flanagan, and added that she had passed there
filling the air with threats against her tormentors at the "Hotel?"
and inquiring for the captain in search of redress. Lawton heard the
man in astonishment, appeared struck with a new idea--walked several
yards towards the orchard, and returned again; for several minutes he
paced rapidly to and fro before the door of the house, and hastily
entering it, he threw himself on a bed in his clothes and was soon in
a profound sleep.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE DOUBLE WARNING.

While his comrades were sleeping in perfect forgetfulness of their
hardships and dangers, the slumbers of Dunwoodie were broken and
unquiet. After spending a night of restlessness he arose, unrefreshed,
from the rude bed where he had thrown himself in his clothes, and
without awaking any of the group around him he wandered into the open
air in search of relief. In this disturbed state of mind the major
wandered through the orchard, and was stopped in his walk by arriving
at the base of those rocks which had protected the Skinners in their
flight, before he was conscious whither his steps had carried him. He
was about to turn and retrace his path to his quarters, when he was
startled by a voice, bidding him--

"Stand or die!"

Dunwoodie turned in amazement, and beheld the figure of a man placed
at a distance above him on a shelving rock with a musket levelled at
himself. The light was not sufficiently powerful to reach the recesses
of that gloomy spot, and a second look was necessary before he
discovered, to his astonishment, that the peddler stood before him.
Comprehending in an instant the danger of his situation, and
disdaining to implore mercy or retreat, had the latter been possible,
the youth cried firmly:

"If I am to be murdered, fire! I will never become your prisoner."

"No, Major Dunwoodie," said Birch, lowering his musket, "it is neither