For endless miles now, it seemed, Betty and Mrs. Ferguson tramped the hot roads, with the other refugees of St. Davids. At last they reached Queenston, and Percy. He himself had been about to set out for St. Davids with Dr. Tam, a wagon, and two men--Ned and Tim Kelly. The Americans had told them to send, under a flag of truce, and fetch the sick and injured from the burnt village. So they rode off, Ned stunned to think that Bee was abducted, and probably by men worse than any savages--Sells' gang of deserters. They heard nothing of Bee at St. Davids, though some of Sells' men had been seen near disguised as Indians, and an American company, with Eli Goode in command, was out searching for them. They were returning when Kawque met them; he first whispered to Ned--"Come and mock your enemy. He is a prisoner in the woods, and you can taunt him, telling him he can never ride with the British soldiers again, for he whined when he thought Sells would torture him, and he told where Bee Goode was, that they might steal her." With his black eyes glittering, the Mohawk repeated his story to Percy, and without a word the four men left the wagon, and followed the Indian to the hut. It was empty except for a man who lay bound face down on a bench, the upper part of his body covered with a blanket. He did not seem conscious, but groaned deeply as Tim cut the ropes, and brought water. Ned did nothing but look with loathing upon his enemy's disgrace. Percy took hold of the blanket to lift it, but Vere, speaking for the first time, though he kept his face hidden, cried, "Don't touch it. Don't touch me. I can't bear it." "Dr. Tam is just behind us," said Percy. Then signing the others to go out, he added fiercely, "and you betrayed Bee, to save your skin?" Vere cringed at the savagery in his tone. "They burnt me for hours," he whispered faintly. "At last I did not know what I said." Percy moved back quickly to keep himself from striking a wounded man, then as Dr. Tam came in, he went out. Ned was waiting to speak to him. "We are wasting time, sir," he said crisply, "Kawque says he can follow Sells' trail, but he is afraid of being killed by the American soldiers if he goes alone and they capture him. Will you let me go with him? We can leave plenty of marks for Captain Goode to follow, and as she was only stolen this morning we might even be able to rescue her, before she is harmed." "Go certainly," said Percy in an unsteady voice, for his soul was sick at the thought of Vere's cowardice. With a gesture of farewell Ned turned from him, and followed Kawque into the bush. Knowing that the only way to keep himself quiet and sane was to work hard, he set the pace through the brush at a rate that made Kawque look at him admiringly. The Mohawk was a primitive man, he understood strength, but not weakness. Dr. Tam came out, and Percy asked--"Are his injuries likely to be fatal, doctor?"