"I reckon I'se done put ole 'Rasmus's business on dis yere plantation in
shape, an' now, chillun, I'se gwine ter be moseyin' erlong, an' ef
you'se countin' to help de ole man, it won't be out ob de way ef yer
carry dese yere blankets an' de little bundle, kase I ain' been much
used to totin' stuff dese las' years."

"Of course we're going to help you, Uncle 'Rasmus," I said quickly,
taking the blankets from his hands. "We count on keeping right by your
side from here until you come within sight of the town of York."

"I'se 'lowin', chile, dat our roads don' come together till we get to a
dead cottonwood tree, whar you say you an' Saul lay hid while de little
French boy went on inter de town."

"But which way are you going, Uncle?" Saul cried. "There's no other road
than the nearest course from here to York."

"I'se 'lowin' your ole Uncle 'Rasmus knows better'n dat," he cried.
"He's libed on dis yere plantation nigh to forty years, an' it would
seem kind'er strange ef he didn't know all de rabbit an' de coon paths
trou dis yere growth. Ef it won't tucker you chillun out to carry de
blankets an' de bundle, an' leabe 'em at de ole cottonwood, I'll get 'em
'twixt now an' mornin'. Ef so be you'se feelin' kind'er trubbled 'bout
de ole man, come to see him wheneber you gets ready. He's gwine ter be
right dar in ole Mary's cabin, sure's you're bawn."

It was a surprise to me that Uncle 'Rasmus should be able to find his
way anywhere between the two rivers, for I hardly remembered of seeing
him stray from the bounds of the plantation; but certain it was, at
least to my mind, that he should go his gait, for now had we come to put
all our dependence upon him, so far as making any move toward recovering
the stolen horses was concerned.

In fact it now began to seem to me, so far as proving ourselves Minute
Boys, that unless we could get within the British entrenchments we could
do naught of good for those men who, I doubted not, were slowly making
their way toward the town of York to hold my Lord Cornwallis prisoner
until the time should come when they might lay their hands heavily upon
him.

Thus it was that Uncle 'Rasmus went off by himself, going down past the
line of grape-vines across the creek, as I supposed, while we three
struck out along the road until we had traveled perhaps a quarter of a
mile, when little Frenchie suddenly halted and said as he turned upon
us:

"Why is it that all three shall travel twelve mil