Everett T. Tomlinson

“ At any moment now the men might break into the house, and if she was detected in her present occupation her own peril, as well as that of Robert, would be vastly increased. Still she was sufficiently collected to try to make as slight a cloud as possible as she plied her shovel, and Robert was soon hidden from sight. He had followed her directions implicitly, and tightly closed his eyes and mouth, still retaining the precious goose-quill between his teeth. ”

“ Both she and Hannah were standing near two rifles that were leaning against the walls of the room. And Claudius Brown was aware that he had spoken truly when he had declared that they would attempt, at least, to protect themselves.
"If you think there is some one here, why don't you make a search and satisfy yourself?" suggested Hannah tartly. "If you are not willing to take our word for it when we tell you there is n't a man in the house, why, you 'll have to look for yourselves, that's all." She was thinking of Robert as she spoke, and what he must be undergoing at that time. ”

“ Quickly drawing two of the longest feathers from the wing, she cut the ends from both with a knife and blew through each to test its emptiness, and then thrust the end of one into the larger opening of the other and so joined the two parts.
"Put this end in your mouth," she demanded, holding them forth to Robert; and as soon as he had received them she seized a rude shovel that was leaning against the side of the house and began almost frantically to dig in the great pile of wood ashes that was standing near. ”