Page:Dorothy's spy; a story of the first "fovrth of Jvly" celebration, New York, 1776.djvu/53

42 near at hand that the girls clung to each other in terror.

"Are they trying to get into the house?" Dorothy asked in a whisper.

"I don' reckon so, honey, kase dere's nobody here dat dey'd want'er kill. Massa Dean am one ob de big men 'roun' yere, an' a high-up Son ob Liberty, so it carn't be his blood dey's hankerin' fur."

"There he goes! There he goes! He's run to earth, an' if no mistake be made he'll soon find himself where he can't spy on honest people!"

This second outburst of words seemed to come directly from beneath the front windows of the house, and both girls clutched the skirts of Scipio's coat, as Sarah asked in alarm:

"Are they coming in here?"

"Bress yer soul, honey, dey couldn't so much as git dere noses in, kase dis yere am a mighty strong house, an' den agin, dey don' want'er come. Dere ain't any spy 'roun' dis place."

"Look out for him! He went over that way!"

Then came the sound of hurrying footsteps, and the listeners knew by the noise that the pursuers were running across the square.

At this point it suddenly occurred to Scipio that by going into the front room it would be possible to see through the window all that was being done, and he darted swiftly forward, almost