"Didn' you tell me yoursef, honey? I ain' 'lowin' dat dese yere sogers would be shovelin' dirt in de night 'less sumfin had come up sudden like. Des look out ob dis yere winder, an' see de torches all 'roun' us. How you 'low you'se gwine to sneak out ob dis yere cabin wid de young Tory 'tween you, an' get away widout anybody's askin' questions?" There was no need for me to do as Uncle 'Rasmus suggested. While Pierre and I had been searching for Saul we had seen signs, as I have already set down, of unusual activity in every direction, and I realized that we could not hope to make our way through the lines unnoticed while, as it seemed to me, every member of Cornwallis's army was astir. "Uncle 'Rasmus is right," Pierre said mournfully, "and I was a fool not to have remembered what we have just seen. There is no sense in our talking of leaving town, at least until the Britishers have quieted down. We must carry the Tory into the loft again, and say to ourselves that we are held prisoners in the village of York even as he is in this cabin." "Why take the trouble to carry him into the loft?" I asked fretfully, angry because it had been shown me beyond a shadow of doubt that the plan I leaped at so eagerly was an impossibility. "Because when morning comes no one may say how many red-coated soldiers will be here hunting for us. If Saul has been arrested, then are we under suspicion." "And if they come to search for us, there is no more assurance of our remaining hidden with this Tory in the loft, than if he remained here in the room." "We will take him there nevertheless," Pierre said in a tone so decided that I could not have contradicted him even though I had made ready a good argument for so doing, and without delay the little lad from New Orleans set about acting on his own suggestion. It was not a simple task which we had before us, for Horry Sims, bound hand and foot, was as unwieldy as a bundle of merchandise, and, in addition, he fought as well as he might to prevent us from forcing him up the shaky ladder. Not until I had cuffed him soundly, promising a more severe punishment in case he continued to resist, did the lad give over the useless struggle, and after considerable labor Pierre and I contrived to hoist him to the loft above. It was when we had finally succeeded, and were seated on the puncheon planks near the scuttle resting from our exertions, that Uncle 'Rasmus said, speaking sufficiently loud for us to hear him while he yet remained in his chair near the window: "I'se 'lowin', chillun, dat you bes' stay right whar you are, an' de ole man will keep an eye out here, so's dere won't any ob dese yere Britishers sneak in widout our knowin' it. If de man from Jersey comes erlong, I'se boun' to gib you notice, so try to get your forty winks ob sleep while dere's a chance."