Meanwhile, Gladding, for it was no other, who personated the Solitary, and the General were cozily seated by the fire in the hut of the latter, discussing the events of the evening.  The false beard was lying on a chair, and a large stone pitcher, containing cider, was placed near the centre of a table, on which the elbow of Tom was leaning, who, from time to time, replenished a mug with the liquor, which made frequent journeys to his mouth.  The old General, with his pipe, was seated on the other side of the table, and appeared as fervent in his devotions to the pitcher as his guest.

“I tell you what, Prime,” said Tom, “I come plaguy nigh tumbling in myself.  I thought I marked the spot exactly, but somehow or other the snow light sort o’ blinded me, and I stepped right on the edge, and had to spring for’t like all natur’.”

“Dat would a been fust rate, to catch two fox in one trap,” said the General, the whites of whose eyes gleamed plainer than ever in the fire light at the thought.

“Fun for you, but not for me by a long chalk.  Basset would have the best on’t, too, for he’d have come right top on me.  How the crittur would have crowed!”

“I hear him crow two or tree time already,” said Primus, who had been to the door several times, and could detect faint sounds whenever the imprisoned Basset shouted.

“Let him try his lungs a little longer.  It will clear his voice for singing school.  I guess I must go to meeting next Sabbath, if for nothing else, to hear him perform.”

“But I ’fraid de poor man freeze,” said the compassionate General.

“Never fear, ’twon’t hurt him.  It will do him good to freeze some of the ugliness out of him.  Besides it’s best to wait awhile.  Perhaps, somebody coming along will help him out, and that will save you the trouble.”

“Me!  Missa Gladding! what hab I to do wid it?  You put him dere, and you is de one to pull him out.”

“Don’t be onreasonable, Prime, now.  You see, if I should go, he’d know, of course, all about it.  Why, he’d recollect the clothes, and next thing I should be took up for assault and battery.”

“And who save me from being took up?”

“O, there ain’t no danger of that.  They can’t git no hold on ye.  You can say you hearn crying for help, and didn’t know but what Holden had turned on him, and so come to assist.”

Primus shook his head dubiously.  He hardly knew what to reply, yet was evidently disinclined to the adventure.  For that reason, perhaps, he allowed Basset to remain in durance longer than his own good-nature prompted, in the hope that relief might arrive from some other quarter.

“I vow,” at last exclaimed Gladding, “if I don’t believe you’re afraid Basset will give you a licking.”

“Basset, nor no oder man, ebber see de day nor night to make me ’fraid,” said the valorous General, whose natural courage was a little stimulated by the cider he had been drinking, starting up and preparing for his expedition.  “But, Missa Gladding, you promise to stand by me if dis scrape go any furder.”