“All that will be as it may chance,” he replied. “Some move must be made immediately, for although we have remained here undetected since noon, there is no possibility, when the troopers have orders to march, that our horses will not be discovered as belonging to strangers. As you count it, the danger to you in remaining is greater than may come to me in trying to get away.” By this time nearly all of our comrades, seeing Gabriel removing his boots and holding conversation with me, believed that some plan for relief was in the wind, and gathered round us asking more questions than could have been answered throughout the entire night. Gabriel put an end to the idle talk by stating in a whisper, yet sufficiently loud for all to hear, what we would do, and laying his commands upon every one to remain where he was, at least until it was positive that he had gotten well clear of the building, or had been taken prisoner. “After that, if it so be any of you are minded to tempt fate, then make the attempt,” he said. “As for me, if fortune favors, instead of trying to find Captain Horry, I shall travel straight back on the road down which the general and his followers are riding. Now let me go without further words, and if ill betide me, then have I no more than paid the debt I owe you lads for having led you into this trap.” It would have been childish for us to have made any further protest. The dear lad was doing no more than any of the party would have been willing to attempt, and it was absolutely necessary that great risks be taken if we were to come out of that place at liberty. I could not believe but that the work should have been given to me rather than him, and would have urged my claim, but he cut me off sharply by saying: “You are to stay here in my place, Rufus, and will prove a better leader for the Minute Boys than I have shown myself, of that there can be no doubt.” He was lifting the latch even as he spoke, and before I could detain him further had passed out into the gloom of the hallway, leaving us standing there with baited breath, our ears strained to catch the slightest sound which should tell of his having been discovered. No sound save the hum of voices on the outside, or the heavy tread below as the officers moved from one room to another, came to us, and, not daring to hope that he had succeeded in getting down the entire flight of stairs, we remained there like statues, hardly daring to breathe lest by inflating our lungs we give the signal which would be that of death to our comrade whom we loved so dearly. CHAPTER X AN ODD BATTLE It is impossible to say how long we sat there listening for that which we hoped might not be heard. It seemed to me as if we crouched by the open door straining our ears and gazing blindly into the gloom fully two hours, when Archie Gordon, touching me lightly on the shoulder, said in a tone of relief: