Why should these fellows, who, earlier in the evening, had been part of Delavan's wagon guard, be in ambush to waylay some rider on the Bristol road?
Who was it they sought to capture?
Where were they taking me, and why was I not released as soon as they discovered their mistake?
These were the main questions, but there were others also arising in mind.

This did not seem to me like an ordinary party of troopers; there was an offhand freedom from discipline totally unlike the British service.

Neither Peter nor the Indian seemed to belong to the class with which the army was recruited.

Peter appeared more like a well-trained servant, and his riding was atrocious.

And the lieutenant! There came back to me the haunting memory that he had joined Delavan as a volunteer--the Dragoon uniform sufficient proof that he was neither of the original foraging party of Hessians, nor of Grant's detachment of Rangers.