Page:Tomlinson--The rider of the black horse.djvu/247

Rh glow in his heart such as might come to almost any man of his years at such a time.

Whatever might befall him, the letter which he was carrying this time should not be lost come what might, he assured himself. And yet in the midst of his determination there was also an eagerness to learn what the fate of Dirck Rykman had been. Perhaps, also, he might see Jacob Gunning once more, for he was planning to go by the same route by which he and Joseph had returned to Morristown. The thought of Joseph naturally brought also the thought of his sister Hannah, and though he was aware that there was slight probability of his seeing the eager-hearted, fearless girl on his trip, for he might not stop even to make inquiries, nevertheless he was hoping that somehow he might at least have a word with her before his journey was ended. Then, too, there was the huge Josh and the dastardly leader of the Thirteen, Claudius Brown. Perhaps their evil deeds were at an end now, and they had been seized by the outposts of General Clinton. He heartily wished that it might prove to be so, though in the unsettled condition of affairs in the region of the Hudson there was slight likelihood of such good fortune, especially when they were aided by such