The Minute Boys of York Town Part 12

"You need have no fear in speaking plainly before me," the man continued. "I am wearing a British uniform, and mayhap am putting my life in jeopardy and doing a grievous injury to the Cause by interfering in this matter while you have a prisoner who may be able later to carry to headquarters information of what you have done this night. I beg you to trust me for the time being, and tell me who is this lad that you have brought from yonder hiding place gagged lest he make an outcry?"

I was yet too thoroughly bewildered to make an intelligent reply; but fortunately little Frenchie had begun to get his wits together, and most like to suspect at least a portion of the truth, for he answered promptly, not only giving the young Tory's name, but explaining why we thus held him.

To my alarm he went so far as to tell the whole story, even though more than once I clutched him by the arm to prevent his laying bare all our secrets; but he threw me off with friendly violence, and continued until the red-coated man who lay by the fireplace had full knowledge, not only of what we had done, but of what we would do.

Then Pierre was come to an end of his story, and so seemingly eager was he to give all the details to this stranger, who by his costume was an enemy and by the tones of his voice a friend, that he spent no little time in the telling of it, while I was nearly beside myself with grief and rage because we had thus put ourselves wholly within the man's power.

It would have been better, so I said to myself with bitterness, if we held our peace. In case he charged us with being spies, as I counted he intended to do, let him prove what we were, rather than that we should give him all the evidence, making his way plain if he would hang us, and I cried out to Pierre, my voice trembling with anger:

"Now that you have doomed us, lad, tell me in what better position you stand than if we had held our peace? Of what advantage can it be to us to proclaim ourselves spies in intent if not in deed, to this soldier of the king?"

Before I could say more, and the hot words of anger were slipping from my mouth so rapidly that I might have continued casting reproaches upon little Frenchie until many moments had pa.s.sed, the stranger interrupted me by asking calmly:

"Now that you have brought your prisoner here to this cabin, what are you counting on doing with him?"

Again Pierre unbosomed his very heart, and explained that we would carry Horry Sims into the loft, one of us standing guard over him all the time, while the others went about the work which they had set themselves.

"It may be well to continue as if nothing had occurred," the man said thoughtfully. "I have no doubt but that you are burning to know why I have done this thing to-night, and yet explanations may not be made while that Tory lad can overhear, although it is true I have already said and done far too much in his presence. Let him understand that if an hour ago you counted on holding him close prisoner, now are you doubly intent on doing so, for he has at least a portion of my secret, and there are others in this town of York besides myself who would compa.s.s his death, rather than that he should whisper the lightest word of what he has heard or seen."

Now it was I began to get a glimmer of light through my head; my tired limbs ceased to tremble, and my heart beat less furiously as I set about aiding Pierre force Horry Sims up the rude ladder.

The Tory must have been quite as terrified as I had been a few seconds before, for he obeyed all our whispered commands, striving to find here and there a foothold on the shaky cross-pieces, and otherwise making every effort to ascend rapidly.

When we were in the loft and had led our prisoner to where the blanket was spread over the puncheon planks, little Frenchie took the gag from his mouth, saying as he did so:

"Even though you would have spied upon us, Horry Sims, I am sorry we were forced to give you the pain of wearing this ornament; but our own lives are of more concern than your suffering, therefore was it a necessity. Now if so be you are minded to give up all hope of making your escape, and do what you may toward remaining hidden from your red-coated friends who would lend a.s.sistance if they knew of your plight, we promise to treat you fairly, and with more of tenderness than you deserve."

"Are you counting on leaving him to guard himself?" I asked in surprise, believing from Pierre's words that such was his intention, and the little lad replied promptly:

"I cannot say that it will be possible for him to do very much guarding of himself. Certain I am that there is only one way of escape from this loft, since the holes which serve as windows are too small to admit of his crawling through, for I myself tried that experiment this afternoon.

If he leaves here it can only be through the scuttle, and with all of us on the floor below, I question whether he would make much headway."

"But he can raise his voice to give an alarm," I answered, and Pierre replied softly, turning toward the young Tory so that there might be no question of his hearing the words:

"If he should dare to speak above a whisper, then I promise you, Fitz Hamilton, that this gag goes into his mouth not to be removed until the hour comes when we no longer fear his tongue."

It seemed to me reckless to leave the Tory sneak alone in the loft, even though we would be on the floor below; but there had been so many happenings within the past four and twenty hours which had aroused in me needless fear, that I was ashamed to give words to what was in my mind, lest Pierre begin to believe I was grown cowardly, and when the little lad moved toward the scuttle, I caught him by the arm as I whispered in his ear:

"What would you do? You have told the man below all you can, and now are we to follow him meekly, in case it is his intent to drag us off to the guard-house as spies?"

"I believe, if he gives us the name of spies, it will be a case of the pot calling the kettle black," Pierre said cheerily. "Are you so thick-headed, Fitz Hamilton, that you cannot understand somewhat of this stranger's purpose? Surely if he was what his uniform gives token, we would not have been treated so gently when he first came upon us; but, instead, the alarm must have been given, and a squad of Britishers summoned to take us away. From the instant he failed to call the guard I began to suspect what he might be, therefore followed willingly his directions."

"And I followed in fear and trembling," I replied shamefacedly, "for I had no doubt but that he was leading me to the gallows."

"Then have you suffered needlessly, as do all who fail of taking heed to everything which goes on around them, judging one incident from its connection with another," little Frenchie said with a low, soft laugh, and then, taking my hand in his as if he was the father and I a baby, he led me to the scuttle, going down the ladder in advance cautiously, much as though believing it would be necessary to aid my faltering steps.

CHAPTER VII

MORGAN, THE SPY

When Pierre and I were come to the lower floor I noted that some one had thrown a bit of wood on the embers, and it was blazing up sufficiently to cast faint rays of light whereby we could see Uncle 'Rasmus standing midway between the outer door and the chimney, looking down upon the red-coated man who lay near the fireplace, as if questioning what his intentions might be.

Saul stood opposite the stranger gazing at him in mingled wonderment and alarm, while the man himself appeared to be wholly unconcerned and entirely at his ease, as if he was among friends in the one place of all others he most desired to be.

It was a strange scene that thus presented itself to me, and rendered so by this seeming Britisher among us who claimed the proud t.i.tle of rebels, apparently friendly after having learned what should have brought us to a speedy military trial, the conclusion of which must have been conviction and the halter.

It was the soldier who broke the silence, as he said with a faint smile wherein was more of sadness than of mirth:

"By this time you lads must have come to understand that I am a friend instead of an enemy, and yet I am enlisted in the king's service, wearing this uniform in token of being willing to serve him."

"You are a spy?" Pierre said thoughtfully, whereupon the stranger nodded, and, motioning to the loft above, replied in a tone so low that we were forced to gather close around him in order to hear the words:

"Although the lad up yonder has seen enough to convict us all, if he had an opportunity to give information, there is no reason why he should be let into all the secrets, and necessity demands that I confide in you.

Had it not been that I suspected--in fact, had fairly good proof of very much regarding the situation, I would be this night considered a deserter, and no longer able to serve the colonies in their righteous war."

"Meaning what, sir?" Pierre interrupted.

"Meaning that in order to carry information to General Lafayette which it is important he should know, I would have left the lines this night, thus betraying my mission here."

"Who are you, sir, if you please?" Pierre asked, for neither Saul nor I had gathered our wits sufficiently to be able to question this friendly red-coat.

"My name is Morgan; I am better known in the American army as Morgan the Jerseyman. It was by special request of the Marquis, General Lafayette, that I enlisted, and were we at this moment at my home in New Jersey, I could show you such writing from the commander-in-chief, General Was.h.i.+ngton, as would convince you that while my coat is red my heart is true blue."

"How long have you been in the British army?" little Frenchie asked.

"Since my Lord Cornwallis was in James Town. There it was I enlisted, representing myself as a Tory at heart who had been forced to take up arms in the American army, and thus far, as it seems to me, I have conducted myself in such manner as not to raise any suspicion regarding my purpose, else had I long since been dancing with nothing beneath my feet."

"And you say you knew during this last day what was our purpose in coming here?" Pierre continued.

"I suspected it, lad, because of seeing this old negro stealing into the cabin yesterday morning just before daylight, and, wondering what his purpose might be in coming here, I kept close watch over the building until I saw you lads enter it and afterward wander around the encampment. You did not cloak your designs so closely but that a watchful Britisher might have had an inkling, for I noted more than once that you were taking careful heed to all the fortifications, although why you lingered so long near the quarters of Simcoe's Rangers I failed to understand."

Then little Frenchie told him what our original purpose was in coming to the town of York; explained that we would have been Minute Boys until the time when we were forced to take Horry Sims a prisoner, and otherwise gave all the details which he had pa.s.sed over when he first gave up his heart to the man who had seemingly made us captives.

"Now if you please, sir, will you tell us why you would have been counted a deserter from the British army if you had not had your suspicions aroused regarding us?" Pierre asked in conclusion, and Morgan replied promptly:

"It is absolutely necessary General Lafayette have early information of the work which is being done here in York, and in order that there may be no uncertainty as to getting word with him, some one must set off without delay, for, unless I mistake, the American forces will besiege Cornwallis as he lays here in much the same as a trap, after which to go back and forth between this place and Williamsburg will be exceeding difficult. If I myself go then I must be absent such a length of time that I shall be set down as a deserter, and could not return save at cost of my life, whereas one of you lads could repeat my words to the marquis as well as I."

"Why not more than one?" I asked in my folly, thinking that two might make the journey with greater safety, and Morgan replied with a smile as he motioned toward the loft above:

"What about the lad whom you must guard as you would your own lives, for verily his escape would mean your death? Since only one is really needed to carry my message, at least two should remain behind to play the part of jailors."

"I will set off at once," Pierre said without hesitation, and I knew the dear little lad was burning to do something of moment; but there came into my mind like a flash of light, that he was the only one of us who called ourselves Minute Boys, who had sufficient wit and cool judgment to keep our secret in case any suspiciously inclined red-coats should venture into the cabin. Therefore it was I cried quickly and decidedly:

"No, no, Pierre; not you! If Horry Sims is to be held prisoner, you are the only one among us fitted to take charge of the scoundrel. But for you he would long since have told the Britishers of our coming into this town of York, and, having proven yourself capable of conducting such a game as we are playing, it is your duty to remain here in charge."