“‘There they are at last!’ eagerly exclaimed Amy.

“‘Let me see,’ said Nathan, as, with the placid manner characteristic of a Friend, he moved to a window which commanded a view of the kitchen door, at which a knocking had commenced.  He could distinguish six men, armed and equipped like militia, and another, whose pinioned arms proclaimed him a prisoner.  His sons were not of the party; and as the persons of the strangers were unknown, and the guise of a militia-man was often assumed by Fagan, our friend was not ’easy in his mind how to act.’  His first idea was to feign deafness; but a second knock, loud enough to wake all but the dead, changed his intention—­he raised the window and hailed the men: 

“‘Friends, what’s your will?’

’A little refreshment of fire and food, if you please; we have been far on duty, and are half frozen and quite starved.’  ’We don’t entertain them who go to war.’

’Yes; but you will not refuse a little refreshment to poor fellows like us, this cold night; that would be as much against the principles of your society as war.’

‘Thee’s from Trenton?’

’No, I thank you; Nathaniel Collins is too well known as a friend to the country, and an honest man, to aid a refugee—­we know that.’

‘Soap the old fox well,’ whispered one of the band.

’Come, friend, make haste and let us in, we are almost perished, and have far to go before sunrise, or we may change places with our prisoner here before sunset.’

’But what does the party here, this side of the river, right under the Hessians’ nose, if—­’

’Oh, we are minute-men, sent from within by Captain Smallcross, to seize this deserter—­don’t you mean to let us in?’

“Nathaniel closed the window and said, ’I don’t know what to make of these men.  Amy, call the boys; tell them to make haste and bring their guns, but keep them out of sight, where they will be handy.’

“As the command was obeyed, and the three young men, laborers on the farm, appeared and placed their guns behind the inner, their master unbolted the outer door and admitted five of the armed men—­the prisoner and one of his captors remaining without.  Nathaniel thought this unnecessary of so cold a night, and a little suspicious—­’Will not thy companions enter also?’

“‘No, thank you; he guards the prisoner.’

‘But why may not the prisoner, too?’ ’Pshaw! he’s nothing but a deserter.  The cold will be good for him.’

“‘I must say,’ quote Nathan, ‘exercised,’ as he afterwards owned, past endurance, ’thy conduct neither becomes thy nature as a man, or thy calling, which should teach thee more feeling—­I’ll take the poor fellow something to eat myself.’

“The old man had reached the door on his merciful errand, meaning it is true, to satisfy his curiosity at the same time, when he who had acted as leader of the party sprang from his chair, and, placing his hand on his host’s breast, pushed him rudely back.  ’Stand back—­back, I say, and mind your own business, if you are a Quaker.’