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D'ri exclaimed, rising to his knees. "'S whut I call a twister." He began to whittle a piece of the splintered platform. Then he lit a shaving. "They 's ground here," said he, as he began to kindle a fire, "ground a-plenty right under us." The firelight gave us a good look at our cave under the logs. It was about ten feet long and probably half as high.
One rose upon a knee, choking horribly, shaken with the last throes of his flooded heart, and reeled over. The Scorpion of our fleet had got her guns in action; the little Ariel was also firing. D'ri leaned over, shouting in my ear. "Don't like th' way they 're whalin' uv us," he said, his cheeks red with anger. "Nor I," was my answer.
He came at me quickly, and I met him. He seemed to think it would be no trick to unhand my weapon. Like a flash, with a whip of his sabre, he tried to wrench it away. D'ri had begun to shoot, dodging between trees, and a redcoat had tumbled over. I bore in upon my man, but he came back at me with surprising vigor. On my word, he was the quickest swordsman I ever had the honor of facing.
Some o' those shipwrecked Yankees," he added, turning to his men. "If they move without an order, pin 'em up to the wall." He picked up his hat leisurely, stepping in front of D'ri. "Now, my obliging friend," said he, holding out his hand, "I'll trouble you for my sword and pistol." D'ri glanced over at me, an ugly look in his eye.
What seemed to be a flock of pigeons rose suddenly above the far forest, and then fell as if they had all been shot. A gust of wind coasted down the still ether, fluttering like a rag and shaking out a few drops of rain. "Look there!" I shouted, pointing aloft. "Hark!" said D'ri, sharply, raising his hand of three fingers.
D'ri was wearing an old straw hat; his flannel shirt was open at the collar. "Ship stan's luk an ol' cow chawin' 'er cud," said he, looking off at the weather. "They's a win' comin' over there. It 'll give 'er a slap 'n th' side purty soon, mebbe. Then she 'll switch 'er tail 'n' go on 'bout 'er business." In a moment we heard a roaring cheer back amidships.
He came to suddenly, and struck the dog with a front claw, dragging him down. A loud yelp followed the blow. Quick as a flash D'ri had caught the painter by the tail and one hind leg. With a quick surge of his great, slouching shoulders, he flung him at arm's-length. The lithe body doubled on a tree trunk, quivered, and sank down, as the dog came free.
They had helped me out of that mire of ecstasy, and now I was glad, for, on my soul, I believed the fair girl had found one more to her liking, and was only playing for my scalp. And at last I had begun to know my own heart, or thought I had. D'ri came over that evening with a letter from General Brown. He desired me to report for duty next day at two.
We made our way to Sackett's Harbor, where I went into hospital for a month. Then came a galling time of idleness. In June we went with General Brown D'ri and I and Thurst Miles and Seth Alexander and half a dozen others down the river to the scene of our first fighting at Ogdensburg, camping well back in the woods. It was the evening of the 27th of June that the general sent for me.
Early in the evening I had tied Rover to the cart-wheel, where he was growling hotly, impatient of the leash. "See?" said D'ri, pointing with his finger. "See 'em? there 'n the dark by thet air big hemlock." We could make out a dim stir in the shadows where he pointed. Presently we heard the spring and rattle of a trap.
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