Page:The Partisan (revised).djvu/202

 Humphries in trouble? If it's that, I have the heart to do it, if it's only for his talk to-night."

"Yes, I heard it."

"You! Why, where were you, Ned?"

"There."

He pointed to the end of the hovel, where, snugly concealed on the outside, his eye, piercing through a hole between the logs, had witnessed all that had taken place in the apartment while the partisans held it.

"And you heard and saw all?" said the old woman. "You heard his foul speech, and you saw him lift his hand to strike me because I spoke to him as he deserved! But he dared not&mdash;no, he dared not! 'Twas as much as his life was worth to lay hands on me. His arm should have withered! That it should."

"Psho! Psho! withered!" exclaimed the son scornfully. She might deceive herself, but not him.

"But who was the other man, Neddy&mdash;the Captain?"

"His name's Singleton, and he's a major of the continentals&mdash;that's all I know about him. He took me prisoner with some others of Travis's, and I joined his troop, rather than fare worse. This gives me pickings on both sides; for since I've joined we've had smart work in skirmishing; and down at Archdale Hall we made a splash at Huck's baggage-wagons, and got good spoil. See, here's a watch&mdash;true gold!&mdash;was this morning in a red-coat's fob, now in mine."

"It's good gold, and heavy, my son;&mdash;will give you yellow-boys enough."

"Ay, could we sell&mdash;but that's the devil. It comes from a British pocket, and we can't venture to offer it to any of their colour. As for the continentals, they haven't got any but their ragged currency, and that nobody wants. We must keep the watch for a good chance, for that and other reasons. I took it from a prisoner by sleight of hand, and it must not be known that I have it, on either side. Proctor would punish, and the young fellow Singleton, who has an eye like a hawk, he would not stop to give me a swinging bough if he thought I took it from one of his prisoners."

"Give it to me, boy: I'll save you that risk."