It is idle to attempt to picture the feelings of Jake Golcher, when he learned from Mr. Brainerd, one of the captives, that Fred Godfrey had escaped but a few minutes before.  
Weakly hoping there was some mistake, he turned to one of the Indians and demanded the truth. He got it in the shape of information that several of the fleetest were hunting for the , and there was hope he would be brought in speedily.
 
The renegade stood a few seconds, and then began striding up and down in front of the camp-fire, indulging in imprecations too to be recorded.
 
All this time Mr. Brainerd was so delighted that he forgot his own grief. He knew how great was the disappointment of the man, and he was pleased thereat, for, recalling the received from the hands of Aunt Peggy, it can be safely said that matters had gone ill with Golcher, since the lady began cooking for her captors.
 
By and by he himself, and then paused in front of Habakkuk McEwen and demanded:
 
"Why didn't you stop him when you seen him running away?"
 
"I didn't see him," was the reply of the fellow, who was mean enough to add: "If I had, you can just bet I'd stopped him, even if my hands was tied."
 
"Why didn't you yell for me as soon as you found out he had gone?"
 
"I did yell," was the unblushing answer, "but there was so much confusion nobody noticed me, and the Injins was off after him as quick as he started."
 
"Just then Aunt Peggy was attending to you," Mr. Brainerd remarked, "and you were so badly used up that you wouldn't have noticed an earthquake had it come along."
 
Maggie looked at her father, while the Tory on him like a thunder-cloud.
 
But for his anxiety to win the good will of the pretty , he would have struck down her parent where he stood. The latter acted as though he had given up all hope, and was trying to to some extent on him whom he .
 
"See here," said Habakkuk, with a of his head and a air, "ain't you going to cut them things that are tied about my arms?"
 
"What'll we do that for?"
 
"So's to let me loose," was the logical answer; "you know, Jakey—"
 
"There, don't call me Jakey," interrupted the Tory.
 
"Well, Mr. Golcher—"
 
"Make it plain 'Jake.'"
 
"Well, Jake, as I was going to say, I'm your friend, and have been ever since I knowed you, and you know it; if you'll let me loose I'll 'list under you; I'm already got up Injin style, and will sarve as one of your advanced ."
 
"Shet up?" interrupted Golcher; "I don't b'leve you're anything more than a rebel, and if we'd done as we orter, the whole caboodle of you would have been wiped out before the sun went down."
 
While the Tory was indulging in these expressions he continually glanced at Maggie Brainerd, occasionally taking a step toward her. It is at such times that a woman is quick to perceive the truth, and with the natural instinct of her sex, she looked at him in turn, and with that smile of hers that was really resistless, said:
 
"Jake, come here a minute, please."
 
In a flutter of surprise, he approached, with a grin.
 
"What can I do for you, dear Maggie?"
 
"I'll be much obliged if you will cut those bonds which trouble father. He has suffered so much to-day that he is , and I hope you will pardon him."
 
This was an audacious request, and took Golcher aback somewhat, but there was no refusing the pray............