“They have been sent away, lad. You need have no fear that our commander will hamper himself with such as they.” “Sent away?” I cried with something very near akin to horror, for at the instant I fancied he might be telling us they had been sent out of the world in the same manner the Britishers had disposed of score upon score of our people. “The ‘Swamp Fox’ does not fight that way,” the trooper replied. “Even though the Britishers declare we are not soldiers, but only a ‘ragged regiment’ of planters who hardly know how to load a musket, we guard our honor as men, and refrain from murdering prisoners. I can’t say where the Tories have been sent, but certain it is from this time out we shall hold all that can be captured and cared for, instead of letting them go free to have another blow at us.” It was a relief to know we were not to be hampered with prisoners, and, as a matter of fact, if we had considered the situation for a moment we would have understood full well that with such tactics as the general was employing, it would be impossible to carry on our swift marches any such useless and even dangerous lumber. I was more concerned in learning who might be the traitor among us, and what had become of Seth Hastings, therefore said as much to Gabriel, who replied in a tone of irritation: “I am counting that it will be many a long day before the first question can be answered, and as to the second, we need not give overly much care until such time as we are able to lay hands upon him once more, for now this last attack has been made it is of little moment that he tells the enemy where we were three days ago.” “But it is in my mind that we Minute Boys should give whatsoever attention we may toward finding him, for until the scoundrel has answered in some way for the injury he would have done us, I shall not believe we have performed our duty.” “I am more than willing to join in any attempt which it is possible to make, William Rufus,” the lad said laughingly, “but it is my opinion that we have our work cut out for us yet this many a day, and hunting a traitorous cur will not be a portion of it.” “What do you mean?” I asked in surprise thinking perhaps he had information from his brother as to our possible movements. “Nothing more than you yourself can see plainly,” he replied. “The Tories whom we have driven into the swamp will soon make it known that the ‘ragged regiment’ has increased in size until able to give fair battle to an army of five hundred, and such news having been carried to the British camp, what think you will be the result?” “They will come hotfoot after us, as a matter of course,” I replied, and it was as if the words had no more than been uttered when two of our people came riding into the encampment at full speed, their horses white with foam, and the riders urging them on until having come directly in front of our commander.