I warn you that they will obey with eagerness." The man ceased his mutterings and he and the other captives cowered by the fire, as if their blood had suddenly grown so thin that they must almost touch the coals to secure warmth.

Then Colonel Winchester ordered the cooks to prepare food and coffee again for his troopers, who had done so well, while a surgeon, with amateur but competent assistants, attended to the hurt.
While they ate and drank and basked in the heat, the mountaineer, Reed, came again to Colonel Winchester.

Dick, who was standing by, observed his air of deep satisfaction, and he wondered again at the curious mixture of mountain character, its strong religious strain, mingled with its merciless hatred of a foe.

He knew that much of Reed's great content came from his slaying of the two traitors, but he did not feel that he had a right, at such a time, to question the man's motives and actions.
"Colonel," said Reed, "it's lucky that my men brought along plenty of axes, an' that your men ez well ez mine know how to use 'em." "Why so, Mr.Reed ?" "'Cause it's growin' warmer." "But that doesn't hurt us.

We're certainly not asking for more cold." "It will hurt us, ef we don't take some shelter ag'in it.