Chapter 7 - Page 2

overseer watched his own warm and sincere manner.

"Humanity is a very pretty stalking-horse for political orations, Bob,"
quietly returned the father; "but it will scarcely count for much with
an old campaigner. God send you may come out of this war with the same
ingenuous and natural feelings as you go into it."

"The major will scarce dread the savages, should he be on the side of
his nat'ral friends!" remarked Joel; "and if what he says about the
humanity of the king's advisers be true, he will be safe from _them_."

"The major will be on the side to which duty calls him, Mr. Strides, if
it may be agreeable to your views of the matter," answered the young
man, with a little more _hauteur_ than the occasion required.

The father felt uneasy, and he regretted that his son had been so
indiscreet; though he saw no remedy but by drawing the attention of the
men to the matter before them.

"Neither the real wishes of the people of America, nor of the people of
England, will avail much, in carrying on this war," he said. "Its
conduct will fall into the hands of those who will look more to the
ends than to the means; and success will be found a sufficient apology
for any wrong. This has been the history of all the wars of my time,
and it is likely to prove the history of this. I fear it will make
little difference to us on which side we may be in feeling; there will
be savages to guard against in either case. This gate must be hung, one
of the first things, Joel; and I have serious thoughts of placing
palisades around the Knoll. The Hut, well palisaded, would make a work
that could not be easily carried, without artillery."

Joel seemed struck with the idea, though it did not appear that it was
favourably. He stood studying the house and the massive gates for a
minute or two, ere he delivered his sentiments on the subject. When he
did speak, it was a good deal more in doubt, than in approbation.

"It's all very true, captain," he said; the house would _seem_ to
be a good deal more safe like, if the gates were up; but, a body don't
know; sometimes gates be a security, and sometimes they isn't. It all
depends on which side the danger comes. Still, as these are _made_,
and finished all to hanging, it's 'most a pity, too, they
shouldn't be used, if a body could find _time_."

"The time _must_ be found, and the gates be hung," interrupted the
captain, too much accustomed to Joel's doubting, 'sort-o'-concluding
manner, to be always patient under the infliction. "Not only the gates,
but the palisades must be got out, holes dug, and the circumvallation
completed."

"It must be as the