ere is no reward, no sum, which I will
not cheerfully pay."

"Sir, your anxiety for your friend excuses your language," said
Lawton, haughtily; "but you forget I am a Virginian, and a gentleman."
Turning to the young man, he continued, "Were you ignorant, Captain
Wharton, that our pickets have been below you for several days?"

"I did not know it until I reached them, and it was too late to
retreat," said Wharton, sullenly. "I came out, as father has
mentioned, to see my friends, understanding your parties to be at
Peekskill,[46] and near the Highlands, or surely I would not have
ventured."

[Footnote 46: on the Hudson, forty miles north of New York.]

"All this may be very true; but the affair of Andre has made us on the
alert. When treason reaches the grade of general officers, Captain
Wharton, it behooves[47] the friends of liberty to be vigilant."

[Footnote 47: is the duty of.]

Henry bowed to this remark in distant silence, but Sarah ventured to
urge something in behalf of her brother. The dragoon heard her
politely, and answered mildly:

"I am not the commander of the party, madam; Major Dunwoodie will
decide what must be done with your brother. At all events, he will
receive nothing but kind and gentle treatment. May I presume so far as
to ask leave to dismount and refresh my men, who compose a part of his
squadron?"

There was a manner about the trooper that would have made the omission
of such a request easily forgiven by Mr. Wharton; but he was fairly
entrapped by his own eagerness to conciliate, and it was useless to
withhold a consent which he thought would probably be extorted; he
therefore made the most of necessity, and gave such orders as would
facilitate[48] the wishes of Captain Lawton.

[Footnote 48: to make easy.]

CHAPTER V.

DUNWOODIE'S INVESTIGATION.

After sufficient time had passed to make a very comfortable meal, a
trumpet suddenly broke on the ears of the party, sending its martial
tones up the valley, in startling melody. The trooper rose instantly
from the table, exclaiming:

"Quick, gentlemen, to your horses; there comes Dunwoodie;" and,
followed by his officers, he precipitately[49] left the room.

[Footnote 49: very hastily.]

With the exception of the sentinels left to guard Captain Wharton, the
dragoons mounted, and marched out to meet their comrades.

In the advancing troop, one horseman seemed to be distinguished in
particular from th