Jake Golcher and Habakkuk McEwen were evidently old acquaintances, and
the Tory seemed to be trying to identify him through the paint that was
daubed over his countenance in such a loose fashion.
Suddenly the Tory broke into a laugh and exclaimed:
"It's him, as sure as creation! I thought it when I first set eyes on
you. Where did you come from, and why are you got up in that flowery
style?"
"Sh! sh! sh!" exclaimed McEwen, contracting his brows and shaking his
head; "I don't want these folks to know who I am. Don't speak my name."
"And why not?" asked the other, with another laugh, as he came closer to
the captive.
"They think I'm a friend to 'em; they don't know I'm a Tory that come
into the valley to raise partic'lar mischief with the settlers."
Jake Golcher immediately became very sober and drew still closer to
McEwen, still gazing sharply into his face. Then he asked in a low
voice, which, however, was distinctly heard by the whites, so perfect
was the stillness at that moment.
"Do you expect me to believe that?"
"You kin do as you please about it, but I've been with Colonel John
Butler's forces for three days."
"Where was you during the battle this afternoon?"
"_I was there_," was the unblushing response; "I was out yesterday with
a scouting party under Ke-fi-ke-fa, the son of Queen Esther, who was
shot by a party of settlers."
Whether Habakkuk spoke all truth or not, the Tory knew he uttered it so
far as concerned the son of Katharine Montour, queen of the Senecas. Her
son was killed on the day preceding, as declared by the prisoner, and it
was that cause, as I have already intimated, which served to excite her
to such a pitch of fury during the battle and massacre.
Jake Golcher looked at him again with the same searching gaze, as
though he was partly convinced and sought to make sure by reading his
countenance.
"What made you paint yourself up in this fashion?"
"So as to be took for an Injin."
"What did you want to be took for an Injin for?"
"Wouldn't I have more chance to do hot work?"
"I don't see why," was the response.
"Wal, if you had been near me you would have seen. I scared these folks
half to death, but, when they found out who I was, they was dreadful
sweet onto me. That give me the chance I wanted with them, and then when
the Senecas and our own boys seen me, they didn't interfere, so I had a
free path to travel."
"How comes it you're in this scrape?"
"I got in among these folks so as to turn 'em over to you, and if it
hadn't been for me you'd never got 'em neither."
"How do you make that out?"
"I knowed they meant to fight hard in the cavern, as they showed by
picking off a couple of your warriors, but I got 'em to come out and
move off up the ravine, knowing sartin sure they would walk into the
trap that you had sot for 'em."
Jake Golcher seemed to be astounded at this statement, and his manner
showed he was half persuaded there was some truth in it. If the fellow
was really a Tory like himself he had no wish to harm him, but he was
not fully persuaded, and he turned to Mr. Brainerd.
"You heard what he said, didn't you?"
"Not being deaf, I did."
"Do you know whether he speaks the truth or not?"
"I don't know, and what's more I don't care; I know one thing, he didn't
render us the slightest help, and in my opinion there is only one bigger
coward and scoundrel in the country, and that's yourself."
Mr. Brainerd looked the Tory straight in the eye as he uttered these
defiant words, and the latter winced under the indignation of an honest
man.
Golcher stood for a moment irresolute, his eye wandering up and down
the line, until it happened to rest on Aunt Peggy.
"Oh, don't you wink at me that way, you scand'lous villain," she
exclaimed, shaking her head; "if you say a word to me, or come any
nearer, I'll scratch your eyes out!"
The Tory moved a little farther off.