ir minds regarding you. Don't expect a squad of
red-coats to come here on your behalf very soon, and, in fact, I would
advise you to give over thinking of such a thing, for there is every
indication my Lord Cornwallis will be too deeply occupied with the
American army to give heed to Tories, however important they may believe
their business to be."

Abel continued to threaten, declaring he would send us to the gallows
before many days had passed, if we failed to release him, and he went
on in such strain until even Pierre lost his temper, and roughly told
him that unless he made ready for eating he would get no food until next
morning, whereupon the fellow opened his mouth obediently, much like a
calf.

Mine was the disagreeable task to feed him, and it may be I thrust the
pudding into his mouth with unnecessary force; but certain it is I was
in no wise tender with the scoundrel, for I knew to a certainty that if
the tables were turned, and we in his power, we might hold ourselves
fortunate indeed if we were given the slightest morsel to eat.

That night we lads took turns standing guard in the loft, each remaining
on duty two hours, although as Saul said, if we had been willing to
cause Horry Sims suffering, all of us might, by gagging him, have taken
the rest which we needed. I am not sorry that we failed of following my
cousin's suggestion, for since that day I have come to know from painful
experience how much suffering may be caused by a gag firmly fixed
between one's jaws.

There is no good reason why I should strive to set down all the doings
of each day while it seemed to me much as if our people were making slow
progress in this work of capturing my Lord Cornwallis.

Having been so successful in our first attempt at foraging, we went
almost boldly around the village when our store of provisions ran low,
begging at this house or at that without questioning whether the
occupants might be for the king or for the colony, receiving sometimes
with a generous hand, and then again in niggardly manner, at least
enough of food to keep us alive, although I am free to confess that
never once from the day the Jerseyman left us until I was home again on
the plantation, did I feel as though my stomach was well filled.

Instead of striving to tell what we lads did, which is of little
consequence compared with what was going on around us, I had best hold
this poor apology for a story to the movements of those brave fellow