They had been
allowed to keep their weapons, so the officers had their swords, and
the men carried their musquets. Most of them looked dull and
dispirited, and the officers had very gloomy, displeased faces. In
fact, they were very angry with their commander, Colonel Fiennes, for
having surrendered so easily, and he was afterwards brought to a
court-martial for having done so.
Stead did not understand this, he thought only of looking under each
steel cap or tall, slouching hat for Jephthah. Several times a
youthful, slender figure raised his hopes, and disappointed him, and
he began to wonder whether Jeph could have after all stayed behind in
the town, or if he could have been hurt and was ill there.
By-and-by came a standard, bearing a Bible lying on a sword, and
behind it rode a grave looking officer, with long hair, and a red
scarf, whom the lads recognised as the same who had preached at
Elmwood. His men were in better order than some of the others, and
as Steadfast eagerly watched them, he was sure that he knew the turn
of Jeph's head, in spite of his being in an entirely new suit of
clothes, and with a musquet over his shoulder.
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