"I am not saying I would do aught toward releasing him this very night, for that could not be other than dangerous. No matter for what slight misdemeanor he may have been arrested, once he has made his escape the hue-and-cry will be raised. What I have in mind is simply to let the lad know we are watching over him, and stand ready to do all within our power when the proper time comes." Verily Pierre was wise beyond his years. It had not occurred to me that Morgan had some particular reason for keeping us closely housed; but now it was as if I understood all his purpose. He counted on our being where he could lay his hand on us at any moment when it might be necessary we should act in his behalf, therefore advised that we leave Saul out of the question for the time being. Pierre had apparently agreed with the Jerseyman, while at the same time it was in his mind to do that which we were setting out to accomplish, and I had no scruples about following him, for ponder over the matter as I might, I failed to see how anything suspicious on our part could bring trouble or danger to the spy, or in any way menace the Cause. It was more than possible we might run our own noses into danger, and suffer thereby; but we alone would be called on to pay the penalty. I led the way through the village to the Widow Marshall's, meeting here and there a single soldier, or the red-coated gentry in squads, none of whom gave any particular heed to us, because there were other lads then ourselves in this village of York, whose parents had not seen fit to run away when the Britishers took possession. As we made a detour around the building I said to Pierre, taking good care not to point lest I attract attention: "Yonder is the house, where the soldier stands in front of the door. Do you see that the only bars to the windows are puncheon planks? If a lad was so minded, and no one approached the rear of the building during a certain length of time, he could dig his way through that chimney of sticks and mud until he was come into the fireplace." All this, as a matter of course, Pierre had noticed, and he also must have seen, as did I, that our hope of showing ourselves to Saul had been vain, for, as I have said, the windows were closed with planks. Whosoever was held prisoner inside could not get a glimpse of the outer world; but must remain in darkness all the while. We walked by this apology for a guard-house slowly, not daring to halt lest some red-coat take heed that we were noting the place more carefully than lads of the village would be likely to do. When we were come nearly to the river front we wheeled about, retracing our steps so far as to be able to pass the building on the other side; but at no point could we see an opportunity for warning my cousin that we were near at hand.