"The rest of the boys
got took, but we got in here. Fitz and me seen the nasty knock you got,
and dragged you back, and when we got you here the parlor was full of
the hounds, and Porter and Abrams and Brown was missing. We found you
was cut, and we've tried to fix you up."
I looked at my bandaged arm, and put one more count in the indictment
against Terrill. He had tried to stab me over the heart at the time he
had wrenched free, but he had merely slashed my arm. It was not a
severe wound, but it gave me pain.
"Only a scratch," said Wainwright.
I envied the philosophic calm with which he regarded it.
"It'll heal," I returned shortly. "Where is the other gang? Are they
gone?"
"No; there's half a dozen of 'em out in the parlor, I reckon."
"You'd better tell him," said Fitzhugh, shifting an unpleasant task.
"Well," said Wainwright, "we heard orders given to shoot the first man
that comes out before morning, but before all to kill you if you sticks
your nose outside before sun-up."
The amiable intentions of the victors set me to thinking. If it was
important to keep me here till morning, it must be important to me to
get out. There was no duty to keep me here, for I need fear no attack
on the boy who was with us. I looked at my watch, and found it was near
one o'clock.
"Tie those blankets together," I ordered, as soon as I was able to get
my feet.
The men obeyed me in silence, while Wainwright vainly tried to quiet
the child.
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