e proven a friendly act."

"Necessity does not take much account of friendship. I was responsible
for a hundred starving men. Under such conditions force would be
justified. I doubt if I could control the fellows now if provisions
should be refused."

"There is no necessity for indulging in threats, Captain Grant," said the
boy's voice coldly. "Elmhurst has never yet turned a soldier away in
hunger. Peter will instruct what few servants remain to attend to the
immediate needs of your men. May I ask how long you expect to remain?"

I thought Grant was walking nervously back and forth across the room.

"How long? Until night, probably. Then with a bite in our haversacks
we'll take the road again. That is, providing you condescend to act as
our host for so long a time. Odds life! but this reception is not over
warm to my thinking."

"Elmhurst is not a tavern, sir."

"No; but the home of a loyalist--the commander of half those men out
yonder. However I am not pleading for them, but myself personally. What
welcome have I had? By all the gods, I was almost compelled to fight that
bald-headed old fool to even gain admittance to the hall. Were those your
orders?"

"Assuredly not. But you must consider circumstances, and forgive Peter
for being over zealous in my service. I received you as soon as I knew
who you were."

"Yes," somewhat mollified, "I presume that is true, although you are
chilly enough, the Lord knows. But what brings you here?"

"That must remain my secret, Captain Grant--for the present."

"Oh, very well. I thought it might have some connection with Eric's
presence in this neighborhood."

"With Eric! What do you mean? Have you seen him?"

"Ah! so I've got below the surface at last! I thought I might with that
thrust. Yes, I saw him last night. I didn't know what the devil the
fellow was up to, but I thought I'd let him play out his game. It was a
right nervy trick, so far as it went, but unfortunately the rebels came
in before I discovered what it all led up to."

"You do not make it very clear to me."

"I told you it was not clear even to myself. This is all I know. When I
joined Delavan last night just after dark, he had a young officer of
Light Dragoons in charge of his advance guard. I merely got a glimpse of
the fellow as we rode in, and he looked so devilishly like Eric that I
asked Delavan who the lad was. He said he had joined at Mount Holly with
three men, was going through to Philadel