ty ob dem, an' I'se tellin' you dat dem
white men was mighty glad fo' to get clear so easy like."

"Come on, Amos," Jerry said impatiently. "You can do no good talkin'
with the old darkey, for he doesn't know anything concerning our
business."

I recognized that fact fully, and yet I lingered to ask one more
question, never fancying of how much importance the answer might be to
us.

"Where do the British keep their prisoners? Surely they must have
brought in some since the battle, and these barracks would have been a
prime place for anything of the kind."

"Dey is pilin' de 'Mericans inter dat stone house back ob whar de
arsenal uster was 'fore it got set on fire las' night."

"Where is that, uncle?" Jerry cried excitedly, and the old darkey
replied as he pointed out the direction:

"Ober yander, sah, des whar you'se kin see de red roof."

Now it was that I understood what was in Jerry's mind, and only with
difficulty could I restrain myself from running forward at full speed.

If Darius had been captured, then it was in the "stone house" he must
be confined, and I believed our search would be at an end if we could
look into every portion of that building.

There were many loungers near about, and no one might say how many
were British spies or sympathizers, therefore we remained looking at
the men who were digging amid the ruins until feeling certain our
departure would not attract undue attention.

There were many lads of about our age idling on the streets, watching
simply from curiosity the movements of the enemy, and I said to myself
that if we were careful to do nothing which might cause suspicion, we
could walk wheresoever we pleased without fear of being taken for lads
who, under Commodore Barney, had given the invaders such good battle
for the possession of the hill at Bladensburg.

"Now we know where Darius is!" Jerry exclaimed when we were where
there was little danger our words would be overheard.

"How can you be so certain of that? He might have come to grief in
many another way than that of being gobbled up by the enemy."

"In any other case I'll warrant he'd have contrived to send some word
to us. I'm convinced he's in the 'stone house.'"

"In which event I'm afraid we can't be of much assistance to the poor
fellow. The Britishers will take good care that their prisoners don't
escape."

"I'm not so certain about that," Jerry replied stoutly. "In case we
have time enough, it should be p