of his temper.

About ten o'clock in the day he reached Blackstock's, where he arrived
in a heavy rain, that had been falling for the last three hours, and
which had drenched him to the skin. So, rapidly dismounting and giving
his horse into the charge of some of the idlers about the door, he
entered the common room in which were assembled the greater part of the
militia guard and of Habershaw's troopers. His first movement was to
take the burly captain aside, and to communicate to him certain orders
from the commanding officer at Ninety-Six, respecting the prisoner;
which being done, he mingled with his usual affectedly careless and
mirthful manner amongst the throng.

Butler, through the intercession of Bruce, had been indulged with some
mitigation of the restraints at first imposed upon him; and he was, at
this moment, availing himself of the privilege that had been allowed
him, on account of the leaky condition of the barn in which he had spent
the night, to take his morning meal inside of the dwelling-house. He was
accordingly seated at a table, in a corner of the room, with some
eatables before him in a more comfortable state of preparation than he
had hitherto enjoyed. Two soldiers stood sufficiently near to render his
custody effectual without much personal annoyance. As yet he had been
unable to glean anything from the conversation of those around him, by
which he might form the least conjecture as to his probable destiny. His
intercourse with his captors was restricted to the mere supply of his
immediate wants. All other communication was strictly interdicted. Even
Habershaw himself seemed to be under some authoritative command, to deny
himself the gratification of either exhibiting his own importance, or of
wreaking his spleen upon his prisoner; and when Butler attempted to gain
from Bruce some hint as to what was intended, the only answer he
received was conveyed by the soldier's putting his finger on his lip.

Butler knew enough of Robinson's hardihood and venturesome disposition,
to feel perfectly confident that he would make good his promise to be
near him, at whatever personal hazard; and he was, therefore, in
momentary expectation of receiving further intelligence from the
sergeant in some of those strange, bold, and perilous forms of
communication, which the character of the trusty soldier warranted him
in counting upon. His knowledge that Robinson had passed by Blackstock's
on the day preceding, gav