The Minute Boys of York Town Part 24

It was when the British vessels slipped their moorings to pour a broadside into the little fleet of Americans that Pierre Laurens saw clear before him the plan which we should follow, and running with all speed toward where the skiff had been hidden in the foliage, he shouted to me:

"Make haste, Fitz, make haste! Now is the time when we can gain the village with but little danger of attracting unpleasant notice, for while the Britishers have their hands full with trying to hold our people back, two lads like us may slip in without heed from friend or foe."

"But why shall we strive to enter York?" I cried, growing timorous once more. "If there is to be a battle it were safer we stayed here, rather than took our chances of being killed by cannon ball or musket-shot from our own people."

"It is not allowed that we shall stay here, Fitz Hamilton!" Pierre cried almost angrily. "Do you forget that Uncle 'Rasmus, with that Tory prisoner of his, yet remains in York awaiting our coming and needing us most sorely? Even though it were certain we would be shot immediately after gaining old Mary's cabin, then are we bound to keep on. Are we to stay here simply to insure our own safety, when Saul is in the Britishers' guard-house exposed to even as much danger as we would be with Uncle 'Rasmus?"

It was not needed the lad should say more in order to recall me to a sense of duty. A red flush of shame came over my face as I realized that I would have played the part of a coward, forgetting that there were in York those who needed me, and from that instant Pierre had no reason to complain because I moved too slowly or failed to display an equal amount of enthusiasm with him.

Immediately the skiff was water borne we lost no time in setting off on what might prove to be a perilous pa.s.sage, and yet there was none of danger whatsoever in it as we soon came to know.

The men on the British s.h.i.+ps had sufficient to occupy their attention without giving heed to two lads who pulled against the current, making a detour of a mile or more, for they were serving their guns with all diligence, hoping to check the advance of those rebels who so lacked in reverence to the king and his commands that they made their appearance in warlike array without first having asked permission.

The roar of the cannon both from the s.h.i.+ps and from my Lord Cornwallis's encampment was almost deafening, and as we tugged at the oars, straining every muscle in order to take advantage of each moment of time, it seemed to me as if the waters of the river were dashed here and there into waves by the concussions.

Without losing stroke or ceasing to exert ourselves to the utmost, we kept our eyes fixed upon the scene before us, and again and again, without being aware that I had uttered a cry, I shouted aloud in joy and in pride at seeing that little fleet of small craft moving steadily on toward its destination regardless of the heavy shot which were being poured in upon them.

So far as we could make out, not a British ball hit the mark. It is very likely some of the missiles found their way among our people; but no severe damage was done else we should have observed it; the fleet would have been thrown into confusion had one of the craft been seriously disabled, or turned back if they suffered too heavily. Instead of which, however, they continued on as I have said, seemingly indifferent to the efforts of the enemy.

It was a sight well calculated to stir the blood of a boy from Virginia, and my excitement, my admiration for the coolness of our people, and the determination shown where the Britishers were doing their best to work destruction, fired my heart until it was with difficulty I could continue my share of the work at pulling the skiff.

"Unless you can look at what is going on around you and row at the best of your strength at the same time, then it is better you close your eyes," Pierre said sharply when I missed a stroke and thereby nearly threw him from the thwart.

I could not have taken my eyes from that which thrilled every nerve in my body; but true it is I did succeed in holding to my work, at least to such extent that Pierre no longer found cause for fault with me, and by the time we had reached the bank of the river, almost at the same point from which we had embarked the night before, the fleet had so far closed in with the land that the king's men did not dare fire upon it from the s.h.i.+ps lest they do more damage to their own people on Gloucester Point then to impudent rebels, who had the effrontery to disturb the servants of his majesty.

The cannonading from the town still continued, now dying away to a single shot every moment or two, and again roaring in thunderous notes as battery after battery discharged all its cannon.

These people were not firing upon the vessels near by Gloucester; but straightway up the river, and therefore it was we knew our people were coming over the land in considerable force, giving no more token of an inclination to halt because of this summons by heavy missiles, than had those who manned the fleet.

The water front of the village was much the same as deserted when the bow of our skiff grounded on the sh.o.r.e. I was too deeply excited to give particular heed to everything within my range of vision; but it was to me as if no man stood near at hand to observe our landing, and on comparing notes with Pierre afterward I learned that he was of the belief that we had come ash.o.r.e into this encampment of seven thousand soldiers without having been observed.

As we made our way up into the village we found that all the troops were in front of us, having manned the outermost entrenchments. We pa.s.sed my Lord Cornwallis's headquarters to find it apparently deserted. At the stable lines of the Rangers not a single horse stood, and my heart went heavy as lead for I realized that poor little Silver-Heels, with a red-faced, red-coated Britisher upon her back, was most likely well toward the front where she stood a good chance of being disabled if not killed, for by this time Pierre and I understood, because of the roar of guns in the distance, that our people were not remaining silent under this iron hail which the enemy were sending among them.

"If they keep this up ten minutes longer we shall have no trouble whatsoever in making our way to old Mary's cabin," I cried almost gleefully, forgetting in this my moment of triumph, when I was pluming myself with having accomplished something heroic, although I had simply taken advantage of an opportunity, that men a short distance away were lying mangled and in the agonies of death.

"We can do better than that, lad," Pierre cried, catching me by the shoulder as if a sudden thought had just come into his mind. "Look about you as we run, and if so be your eyes light upon a pick or an axe, seize upon it."

"To what end?" I asked, panting because of the swift pace which my comrade had kept. "Are you counting on taking part in the battle?" for then it was I had no doubt but that our people had set about measuring strength with my Lord Cornwallis's army.

"Yes, we'll fight a battle on our own account, and the result shall be the release of Saul from the guard-house. I'm allowing that the sentries are not giving any great attention to prisoners just at this moment, and if those who should be outside the prison have pressed toward the front to see what may be going on, our chance has come."

It did not need that the dear lad should go into the details of what he would do. I realized on the instant that even though we were within the enemy's encampment, there was a possibility we might work our will, and no time was wasted.

It was reasonable to suppose that the sentries here, there and everywhere throughout the village would be pressing toward the front from motives of curiosity, if nothing else, feeling thoroughly well convinced that no harm could come upon them from the rear.

Fortune so far favored me as we run that I was speedily armed with an axe which had been left near by a pile of fuel, and before we had traveled twenty yards further Pierre came upon a pick. Therefore it was we had all the weapons we needed for an attack upon the guard-house, if so be little Frenchie had the same aim in mind which had come to me, that is to say, to force an entrance through the chimney into the fireplace.

Then we were come to that house in which the Jerseyman had told me our comrade was confined, and I, thick-headed as usual, would have begun an attack upon the chimney without delay, for we had approached the building from the rear; but before I could strike the first blow little Frenchie grasped me by the arm, as he whispered warningly:

"Would you take the risk of spoiling everything by going to work blindly? We must first learn if there be sentries on the other side."

Then, leaving me standing motionless and silent, covered with confusion because of having shown myself such a simple, he went cautiously around the house, moving with as much care and deliberation as if having full knowledge that a squad or more of red-coats were on guard, and I awaited his return, my heart thumping so violently that it was as if the pulsations vied in volume of sound with the reports of the cannon.

When next I saw Pierre he approached from the opposite side of the house, thus showing that he had made a complete circuit of the place, and the expression on his face told as clearly as words could have done that we might set about our task without delay, for there were none near at hand to stay us.

Without waiting for him to speak I struck my axe into the structure of sticks and clay with such force that it was buried to the head, and I could not release the tool until little Frenchie had aided by tearing away some of the fabric with his pick.

"Haste is like to make waste," Pierre reminded me in a half whisper.

"Unless we get about this work with somewhat of system we shall make but little headway, and no one can say how soon the sentries may remember that it is their duty to stay here on guard instead of watching the advance of the rebels."

I would have been a dull lad indeed had I not come by this time to understand that it was Pierre Laurens who should take the lead when he and I were working together, therefore I stood back, leaving him to begin the task, and striking with my axe when he directed me so to do.

Before we had succeeded in cutting a hole as large as a man's hand, I heard a voice from the inside which I believed to be Saul's crying excitedly:

"Who are you that are striving to enter? There should be a sentinel just outside the door, and unless you take due care he will give an alarm."

"Saul! Saul! It's Pierre and Fitz!" I cried, no longer able to restrain myself, and little Frenchie clapped his hand over my mouth on the instant, saying angrily:

"Is it not enough that you have opportunity to work your will even here in the midst of the enemy's encampment, but that you must raise your voice to give notice of what you would do? It matters little whether Saul knows it is us who are here, or that he waits until we have effected an entrance."

While he spoke Pierre was working industriously, having taken his hand from my mouth after leaving it there sufficiently long to give token that he intended it for a reproof, and from that moment until sounds from the inside told that whoever was held prisoner had been on his part aiding in the work, I held my peace, watching little Frenchie's every movement, determining never again until we were out of this village, would I raise my voice until he had given permission.

Whether we worked there at tearing a hole through the chimney five minutes, or thirty, I have no idea. Around us yet roared the cannon, telling that the American forces were still advancing, and the Britishers striving to hold them back. Ever present in my mind was the knowledge that at any moment the guard might come up and take us into custody.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE RELEASE OF SAUL OGDEN.]

One can well understand in what a tumult was my brain, and how like a flood in spring-time the blood leaped through my veins. I was like as one held in the grip of a raging fever, until from out that aperture which we had made in the flimsy chimney I saw Saul Ogden, looking considerably the worse for his short imprisonment, come crawling until it was possible for me to clasp him in my arms, where for an instant I held him fast, tears of grat.i.tude rolling down my cheeks because of having been permitted thus to have taken some little part in the dear lad's release.

There were other prisoners than Saul in the guard-house, and, as can be supposed, they were not backward in taking advantage of the opportunity to make their escape from imprisonment even though they were red-coats; but as the first soldier came on the heels of Saul, Pierre, raising his pick threateningly, ordered the man to stop.

"Remain where you are, or your death will pay the penalty," he cried, and there was that in his tones which told it would not be safe to disobey him.

"If you are willing to let one out, why not another?" the Britisher asked, an expression of perplexity coming over his bloated red face, which gave token that he had been brought into the guard-house through drunkenness.

"Because I don't intend it shall be within your power to work us harm."

"Why should I work you harm?" the half-drunken soldier asked as he lay on his belly in the aperture looking up at the small lad.

"You are a British soldier who has come here to work the king's will on us of Virginia, and we are minded to make our escape before you can atone for your misdeeds by making us prisoners," Pierre cried hotly.

"I have no mind to take anybody prisoner, be he rebel or whatsoe'er you will, for now the fight is going on, and by joining my troop this little slip of mine which landed me in the guard-house is like to be forgiven if not forgotten."

"Stay where you are until we get well away, for we have been taught not to put overly much faith in what you men who wear red coats may say,"

Pierre cried, and at the same time he motioned for Saul and me to go our way, which we did without delay, knowing the lad would follow close at our heels.

Saul had kept a tight grip on my hand from the moment he came into the open air, and we two ran side by side, thus yoked together by token of friends.h.i.+p, on the alert for the first show of a red coat in our path.

It seemed to me that we might have raced around and around that village until we were spent with the exertion, and never have come upon one of the king's men, for they rushed into the outer works at the first alarm, officers, soldiers, camp-followers, and even the sentries, all of them most like believing it would only be necessary for them to give token of being ready for battle in order to make the Americans turn tail in terror.