Fred Godfrey, as may well be supposed, was amazed at the words of Habakkuk McEwen, but he believed the fellow was simply to this in the hope of saving his life.  
Understanding the nature of the man as well as he did, he could not find fault, and he made an effort to help him, without telling a clear untruth.
 
"I can say that before and after I joined my friends, he behaved very differently from the others."
 
"How?"
 
"He was asked to do several things for their benefit and refused, and he favored this attempt to get away by leaving the place where we had taken shelter in the rocks."
 
"That's because he was too cowardly to do anything else," broke in Mr. Brainerd.
 
"Did lie fire either of those shots that brought down a couple of our men?"
 
"I believe not-did he, Mr. Brainerd?"
 
"No; he can't shoot well enough to hit a flock of barns ten feet off, and he shivered so with fear he couldn't hold his gun in hand."
 
"That's a lie!" exclaimed Habakkuk, who began to feel hopeful; "I had a dozen chances to pick off some of the red men and I wouldn't do it, 'cause I was their friend."
 
"Wal, I'll 'tend to you after awhile," said Golcher, puzzled by the turn matters had taken. "You folks may sit down on the log a while, and I'll 'tend to another matter."
 
During this curious conversation the Senecas were grouped on the other side of the camp-fire, so that the faces of captors as well as captured were shown in the glare of the blaze, upon which more wood was flung.
 
Fred Godfrey regretted this, having resolved to make a break whenever the chance presented itself, for there was no mercy to be expected for him. The Senecas were impatient, and he was well aware that Jake Golcher hated him with a that would stop at nothing in the way of suffering.
 
If convinced that the death of a soldier would be his, he would have stayed and died, like the brave youth he was.
 
But once away and he might do something for those who were dearer to him than his own life.
 
While he stood listening to the conversation recorded, he sought to finish that which he had tried to accomplish all the way thither—that was, to loosen the bonds that held his elbows and wrists as if they were bound with iron.
 
He could not make any progress, and he began to feel as though he had the step too long. He thought to have overturned his guards, and da............