The Minute Boys of York Town Part 17

"Then if it be true, as you admit, that the time must come when I am allowed to go free, it seems to me you had better make a bargain now, rather than be forced to let me go later and bear all the consequences of this high-handed proceeding of yours. Surely you must understand that my friends, and my father has many nearabout the towns of James and York, will take revenge because of what you have done to me. Suppose I agree to hold my peace forever regarding what you have done, and, in addition, promise to go out and seek diligently for Saul? I can go where you dare not; I can receive replies to my questions when those whom you approached would be dumb, and may promise almost with certainty that before daylight Saul Ogden will be with you, for if the Britishers are holding him my people have influence enough with Lord Cornwallis to effect his release."

"You are forgetting, Horry Sims, that we have been forced to allow you to share too many secrets of ours," Pierre said mildly, and the Tory cur added eagerly:

"You have my word of honor that I will not so much as think of them after leaving this hovel. Whatsoever I may have heard or seen here is locked in my breast forever, if so be you are minded to treat with me."

"Such a proposition as you make might be heeded if he who suggested it was one who had any honor on which we could rely," Pierre said, still speaking in a mild tone. "We know as well as you, that instantly you were allowed to go free your feet would carry you to Lord Cornwallis's headquarters, and there, regardless of your so-called word of honor, you would repeat everything you have heard--most likely very much you have imagined. I am not willing to have dealings of any kind with a Tory; but it may be that Fitz Hamilton is more foolish, and if he chooses to accept your bargain I shall hold my peace."

I did not give the young Tory time to ask my opinion. While he and Pierre had been talking the anger in my heart was nigh to stifling me, for I feared that little Frenchie might be inclined to put faith in the fellow's word, and on the instant I cried in a rage:

"Trust you, Horry Sims? Not for a single second after you were free to move about or to speak! There is no oath which you Tories could take that would bind you as against those who are risking their lives to free the colonies. I would sooner throttle you this minute, than trust one of the fair words you might speak!"

It must be that Horry Sims had fully believed the time was come when he could bargain with us to his own advantage, for straightway I ceased speaking he flew into a rage, the first real signs of anger he had shown since we made him prisoner, and began to threaten as to what his people would do with us when my Lord Cornwallis had driven back the forces under General Lafayette.

He continued in this strain mayhap while one could have counted twenty, and then Pierre, quietly laying his hand across the creature's mouth, said with a laugh:

"You are putting too much dependence upon the future, Master Sims, when you reckon time by a victory to be gained by the Britishers. This particular portion of the King's army is in a small hole, from which there can be no escape, and within very many days you and your Tory friends will be striving to curry favor with those whom you now call rebels."

Horry Sims could make no reply to this remark, for the very good reason that Pierre held him dumb, and again we fell into painful silence, picturing in our minds the possible fate of Saul, until little Frenchie said in a tone of hopefulness:

"Why may we not rid ourselves of this fellow entirely? While we hold him he is a menace, and but for the necessity of keeping watch over the cur we would be at liberty to move around at will."

"But how _can_ we rid ourselves of him?" I asked impatiently, forgetting for the instant that this little lad from New Orleans, so gentle and so girlish in his ways, was full of resources at such a time.

"It should not be difficult to smuggle him through the lines during the night, and by carrying the fellow to General Lafayette's army I have no doubt the officers would hold him fast for us, because of understanding what might be the Jerseyman's fate if he was allowed to go free. You would only be forced to tell your father the story, Fitz, in order for him to guard the scoundrel as he would guard something very precious."

On the instant my heart leaped with joy, for verily did this plan seem to promise both success and relief, and without looking ahead to the possibilities I said promptly, as if it were in our power to do whatsoever we pleased:

"He shall be carried to Williamsburg! Once there I'll answer for it he has no chance to join his friends who claim to love the king so dearly."

Then Pierre and I set about discussing the best course to pursue while leaving the town of York, as if we would set off that very night, when Uncle 'Rasmus put an end to the hoping and planning, at least so far as the present was concerned, by saying dreamily:

"I'se 'lowin', chillun, dat you won' fin' it so ter'ble easy to get out ob de lines dis yere night. Dere's sumfin in de air dat's trubblin'

Ma.r.s.e Cornwallis, an' you can be mighty sure dese yere sogers am keepin'

dere eyes wide open."

Surprised at thus learning that the old negro knew so much of what was going on outside, I asked irritably why he had formed such an opinion.

"Didn' you tell me yoursef, honey? I ain' 'lowin' dat dese yere sogers would be shovelin' dirt in de night 'less sumfin had come up sudden like. Des look out ob dis yere winder, an' see de torches all 'roun' us.

How you 'low you'se gwine to sneak out ob dis yere cabin wid de young Tory 'tween you, an' get away widout anybody's askin' questions?"

There was no need for me to do as Uncle 'Rasmus suggested. While Pierre and I had been searching for Saul we had seen signs, as I have already set down, of unusual activity in every direction, and I realized that we could not hope to make our way through the lines unnoticed while, as it seemed to me, every member of Cornwallis's army was astir.

"Uncle 'Rasmus is right," Pierre said mournfully, "and I was a fool not to have remembered what we have just seen. There is no sense in our talking of leaving town, at least until the Britishers have quieted down. We must carry the Tory into the loft again, and say to ourselves that we are held prisoners in the village of York even as he is in this cabin."

"Why take the trouble to carry him into the loft?" I asked fretfully, angry because it had been shown me beyond a shadow of doubt that the plan I leaped at so eagerly was an impossibility.

"Because when morning comes no one may say how many red-coated soldiers will be here hunting for us. If Saul has been arrested, then are we under suspicion."

"And if they come to search for us, there is no more a.s.surance of our remaining hidden with this Tory in the loft, than if he remained here in the room."

"We will take him there nevertheless," Pierre said in a tone so decided that I could not have contradicted him even though I had made ready a good argument for so doing, and without delay the little lad from New Orleans set about acting on his own suggestion.

It was not a simple task which we had before us, for Horry Sims, bound hand and foot, was as unwieldy as a bundle of merchandise, and, in addition, he fought as well as he might to prevent us from forcing him up the shaky ladder.

Not until I had cuffed him soundly, promising a more severe punishment in case he continued to resist, did the lad give over the useless struggle, and after considerable labor Pierre and I contrived to hoist him to the loft above.

It was when we had finally succeeded, and were seated on the puncheon planks near the scuttle resting from our exertions, that Uncle 'Rasmus said, speaking sufficiently loud for us to hear him while he yet remained in his chair near the window:

"I'se 'lowin', chillun, dat you bes' stay right whar you are, an' de ole man will keep an eye out here, so's dere won't any ob dese yere Britishers sneak in widout our knowin' it. If de man from Jersey comes erlong, I'se boun' to gib you notice, so try to get your forty winks ob sleep while dere's a chance."

It seemed to me like veriest folly to talk of sleeping while our hearts were so heavy with grief, and danger seemingly closing in around us, yet when Pierre acted on Uncle 'Rasmus's advice by throwing himself down on the puncheon planks by the side of Horry Sims, where he could have due warning if that young scoundrel attempted any mischief, I followed his example. With the Tory between us we two lads lay there on the hard bed, both, I doubt not, thinking with tears in our hearts of Saul's possible fate, and both within a short time journeying over into Dreamland despite all there was in the situation to prop our eyes wide open.

When next I became conscious of my surroundings it was possible to see the faint grey light of coming dawn through the narrow apertures which served as windows, and I sprang to my feet quickly, almost frightened because I had given myself up to slumber for so long a time.

Scrambling down the shaky ladder as if time was most precious, I made my way to the room below, where I found Uncle 'Rasmus sitting as when I had last seen him, with a blanket drawn over his knees and his eyes fastened upon the moving figures of the soldiers outside.

"Why did you let us sleep, Uncle 'Rasmus?" I demanded. "We should have remained awake so that you might have an opportunity to rest."

"Ole bones don' need so much ob de bed as young ones does, honey, an'

I'se no good 'cept to set right here an' watch. Don' you fret 'bout your Uncle 'Rasmus, kase he'll look out for hissef all right."

"But it seems selfish for us to have slept while you remained awake."

"Now you'se frettin' 'bout nuffin, chile, when dere's plenty ob real trubble to take up your min'."

"What has happened?" I asked anxiously, thinking for the instant that the old negro had seen tokens of impending danger.

"Dere's sumfin goin' on in dis yere town, honey, as is pas' my understandin'. Dese yere sogers has been workin' all night, an' dey're still at it, as ef de ole man from down below was arter 'em."

"I don't see that we need fret very much if the Britishers have grown frightened," I said with a laugh, and Uncle 'Rasmus replied:

"It looks to me, honey, as if dey counted dere was gwine to be a battle 'roun' here mighty soon, an' ef anyting ob dat kine does happen, I'se askin' mysef how we'se comin' out ob it. We'se a good deal like Brer Rabbit, when de fox an' de wil' cat was fightin' to see which one would hab him for breakfas'. Whicheber way it turned he was boun' to be eat up, an' it kind'er looks to me as ef we'd be in de same fix ef our folks an' de Britishers got to shootin' off dere guns while we was in dis yere cabin."

I stood silent and motionless gazing at the old man with my mouth wide open like a simple, as this possibility of a new danger came upon me. As a matter of course I had believed there would be a battle between the two armies; but that we might be held in the cabin exposed to shot and bombs from both friend and foe, was something to cause the blood to run cold in one's veins.

It was well for me that just at the instant came a change in the situation, else might I have given proof of the timorousness which was in my heart. I was yet looking stupidly at Uncle 'Rasmus when the door suddenly opened. As I turned to see who was the intruder an exclamation of joy and relief burst from my lips, for it was none other than Morgan, and I made sure that now was come the moment when we would have some information concerning Saul.

"Yes, I have been working all night in the trenches as if my greatest desire in life was to hold the Americans in check," he said as he sank down on the floor like one on the verge of exhaustion, when he saw that I was taking note of the stains of toil upon him.

"What about Saul?" I cried, forgetting that we had had no opportunity of warning this friendly spy that our comrade had disappeared.

"Saul? Is he not with you?"

"He went out from this house yesterday morning, and has not returned.

Pierre and I were searching for him when we came across you. I then might have made trouble for all of us, but for little Frenchie, who was quick-witted enough to see that you feared lest we might speak to you."

"Your comrade has disappeared?" Morgan said musingly, and seemingly forgetting his weariness of body he rose to his feet like one who suddenly remembers that the time for action has come.