hand to do so; if I were the greatest coward
that ever lived, your words would drive me into the army, for it would
take more courage to brave them than to face the cannon's mouth, or
cross bayonets with the British regulars."

"You seem to place great value on my counsel, Edward."

"So I do; I would rather die than displease you in anything."

These fervent words were uttered in a low, earnest tone, that Ned would
not have dared to use a few minutes before, when he first took his seat
so close to the idol of his heart. As was perhaps natural, it was the
girl who seemed never to lose her self-command, and who parried every
attempt to broach the subject that was evidently clamoring for utterance
in the heart of the youth.

"Well, if you value my opinion so highly," she answered, in that
half-frivolous and half-serious tone that was especially tantalizing to
one of his ardent temperament, "I shall be very careful of the advice I
give."

"You couldn't advise me to do anything except that which is best for
myself and country."

"I can reply as you did a moment ago--that I could easily do so, but I
have no intention of trying it. Jo tells me that you and he are to go
together?"

"Of course we shall. We have been friends all our lives, and we may as
well stick together in the army."

"I am glad to hear that, for it has many advantages--but why talk of
those things now?"

The girl looked around in the darkness, as if she wondered at the
continued absence of Lena-Wingo and her brother.

"I am half tempted to lose my patience with Jack!" she said, after a
minute of waiting and listening. "He doesn't seem to be in a hurry at
all; we ought to have been in Wilkesbarre before daylight this morning,
and here it is dark again, and there is no telling when he will be ready
to start."

"I have no fear of the Mohawk," replied Ned, who thought they might find
a much more interesting subject to talk about. "He will be here in due
time, and is sure to do his part in whatever needs to be done. I think
he has gone in search of that supply of food he was talking about a
while ago. When he gets it he will bring us a good supper, which will
not come amiss to any of us, although I should have preferred to eat it
in Wilkesbarre."

"We may as well content ourselves here until Jack is ready," said Ned,
keeping his seat as close to Rosa as he conveniently could. "Until then,
remember that I am here, ready to defend you with my life."