ories might take you to account for harboring such a never-do-well. But
you have got a poor fellow under your roof that has had a hard run to
get here."

"In my house!" exclaimed Musgrove; "Horse Shoe Robinson!" and then,
after a pause, he continued, "well, well, there is no rule of war that
justifies a Christian in refusing aid and comfort to a houseless and
hunted stranger, who comes with no thought of harm to a peaceful family
hearth. I take no part in the war on either side; and, in your ear,
friend Robinson, I take none _against_ you or the brave men that stand
by you."

"Your hand again," said Horse Shoe, reaching towards the miller. "Allen,
I have come to you under a sore press of heels. An officer of the
Continental army and me have been travelling through these here parts,
and we have been most onaccountably ambushed by a half wild-cat, half
bull-dog, known by the name of Captain Hugh Habershaw, who cotched us in
the night at Grindall's ford."

"Heaven have mercy on the man who has anything to do with Hugh
Habershaw!" exclaimed the miller's wife.

"Amen, mistress," responded the sergeant; "for a surlier, misbegotten
piece of flesh, there's not in these wild woods, giving you the choice
of bear, panther, catamount, rattlesnake, or what not. We were sot
upon," continued the sergeant, "by this bully and a bevy of his
braggadocios, and made prisoners; but I took a chance to slip the noose
this morning, and after riding plump into a hornet's nest at
Blackstock's, where I put on a new face and tricked the guard out of a
dinner and this here old sword, I took a course for this mill, axing
people along the road where I should find Allen Musgrove; and so, after
making some roundabouts and dodging into the woods until night came on,
to keep clear of the Tories, here I am."

"And the officer?" said Musgrove.

"He is in the hands of the Philistines yet--most likely now at
Blackstock's."

"What might be his name?"

"Major Butler--a bold, warm gentleman--that's been used to tender life
and good fortune. He has lands on the sea-coast--unless that new-fangled
court at Charlestown, that they call the Court of Seekerstations, has
made them null and void--as they have been making the estates of better
gentleman than they could ever pretend to be; taking all the best lands,
you see, Allen, to themselves, the cursed iniquiters!"

"Where did you come from with this gentleman?"

"A long way off, Mr. Musgrove--from old Vi