Ethan asked several other questions and then said, “Tell the colonel that I’ll soon be on my way, and I’ll get Kindred to go with me.”

The sergeant thought for a moment and finally blurted out, “From what I’ve heard that he’s been sayin’ around Wrightsborough, I’m not sure which side he’s on.”

Ethan was sometimes short-tempered, and now he spoke angrily. “Kindred would never betray us. He did sign the paper criticizing the Boston Tea Party and expressed his concern about disloyalty to the crown, but that was a long time ago. Now he knows as well as any of us what the British troops and their Indian allies have done to our families and our homes. I’m taking Kindred.”

Ethan went inside the cabin and brought out a handful of corn cakes and some fried pork, which the sergeant took, then whirled his horse and rode toward the nearby forest. He turned, however, and came back to give a final message.

“The colonel says the information is to go direct to the general, and nobody else. The password is ‘high spirits.’ ” Then he moved out of sight down the trail.

By this time, Epsey was up and Ethan explained that he had to take a message to the Continental general who was camped farther down the creek that ran through their farm. As Ethan dressed, prepared a small packet of food, and checked his rifle and ammunition, he thought about Kindred and could understand the derogatory comments of the sergeant. He, too, had been concerned about the excessive time his neighbor had been spending among the Indians. On more than one occasion, Kindred had expressed his criticism of the settlers’ encroachment on the native lands and what he called mistreatment of the Indians by Wrightsborough merchants. He recalled riding to Kindred’s home one day and meeting three British mounted soldiers on the narrow lane. When questioned, Kindred gave a somewhat confused explanation about the soldiers being lost and looking for the best way to get back to the main trail going south to Savannah.

Within an hour, Ethan had saddled his horse and ridden a mile to the Morrises’ farm, anticipating the eagerness of his young friend to join him in what would be an interesting and important adventure. But when he found Kindred and explained their assigned task, the response was somewhat surprising: “I’ve got a lot to do, and I doubt if you really need me to go with you.”

Ethan replied, “Kindred, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but I need someone along just in case we need to send a report or message back to the militia leaders in Augusta.”