I did lie quiet, but sleep came not, nor did I woo it. For long past the
time when I could hear his measured breathing, I lay awake to plan how I
might draw the baronet's man-hunt to myself, and so free my loyal
Richard of the peril that by rights was mine.
XVII
SHOWING HOW LOVE TOOK TOLL OF FRIENDSHIP
For some few days after Jennifer's narrow escape at the entrance to our
hiding place, the Cherokees were hot upon our scent, quartering the
forest on both banks of the river, determined, as it seemed, to hunt or
starve us out.
It was in this time of siege that I came to know, as I had not known
before, the depth and tenderness of my dear lad's love for me. While the
life-tide was at its ebb and I was querulous and helpless weak, he was
my leech and nurse and heartening friend in one. And later, when the
tide was fairly turned and I had found my soldier's appetite again, he
spent many of the nights abroad and never let me guess what risks he ran
to fetch me dainties from the outer world.
In this night raiding no danger was too great to hold him back from
serving me. Once, when we were washing down our evening meal of meat and
maize cake with plain cold water, I mourned the good wine idling in its
bin at Jennifer House. At that, without a word to me, he took the whole
night for a perilous adventure and fetched a dozen bottles of the
Jennifer port to make me choke and strangle at the thought of what its
bringing had cost in toil and hazard.
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