His wrinkled face went ashy pale as the facts of the situation were borne in upon him, and he sank back in the chair with both hands uplifted as if in supplication. "You chilluns hab done gone crazy! Gone crazy!" he repeated again and again, and I stood helplessly by not knowing what to do; but little Frenchie set about soothing the old man's fears by explaining how it might be possible for us to do this, or do that, and declaring we could keep Horry a prisoner in the loft so long as one of us stood close by to insure his silence, until Uncle 'Rasmus recovered a goodly measure of his former serenity. "I 'clar for it, chillun, it beats de snakes how much trubble you'se got us all into; but I reckon we'se boun' to hol' our backs stiff agin it, else dese yere Britishers am gwine ter make mighty short work ob us." "That's just it, Uncle 'Rasmus, that's just it," Pierre cried cheerily. "We've got into the muss, and it stands us in hand to hold our own so long as we can. We're no worse off if Horry Sims gives us the slip after we've brought him here, than we would have been had we allowed him to go free after Saul was so foolish as to let the fellow understand we knew of all his knavery. Now it's a case of keeping our backs stiff, trying to get possession of the horses, and doing all we can toward carrying to the Americans news of what's being done in this town." "Sure, honey, you ain' countin' on doin' nuffin 'cept holdin' Horry Sims quiet?" and again Uncle 'Rasmus showed signs of terror. "Now look here, Uncle," and Pierre knelt by his side, looking up into the wrinkled black face with a cheery smile as if there was nothing in all this wide world to trouble him. "We are not going to waste our time on one Tory--that is to say, all of us are not, for one must remain on guard. After what has happened Saul should do more than his fair share of playing the jailor. Now you wouldn't have Fitz and me loafing around this town doing nothing, would you?" "Sure enuf, honey, sure enuf." "You believe if we could carry any word of importance to the Americans we should do it, don't you, Uncle?" "Sure enuf, honey, sure enuf." "And if matters should turn, such as we can't really hope for, that there was a possibility of getting hold of the horses, would you have us do it?" "Sure enuf, honey, sure enuf." In such manner did this little French lad talk with the old negro until he revived all his courage, and before having come to an end Uncle 'Rasmus was as eager as Pierre to be up and doing, meanwhile as seemingly careless of what the future might bring us as was that little lad on whom all my hopes for the future, so far as the Britishers were concerned, depended.