The Go Ahead Boys and the Mysterious Old House Part 12

"Shall we go in?" inquired Fred, his voice trembling in spite of his attempt to control it.

"It's getting late," suggested George. There was a note of laughter in his voice, but his companions were so excited that they were scarcely aware of it. "Perhaps we had better put it off until some other time."

"That's the way I feel about it," joined in John.

"All right," said George, "and we must look after our car too. My father wouldn't want me to lose the old car as well as the new one."

Like the famous soldiers who marched up the hill and then marched down again, the Go Ahead boys without protest on the part of any member of the party retraced their way to the road and silently took their places in the car.

Conversation lagged and when at last they arrived at George's home they left the car in the garage and then quickly entered the house.

When they came into the room where the lights were shining they stared blankly at one another for a moment and then laughed loudly.

"What a pack of brave fellows we are, aren't we?" said George.

"We are going to find out about that old house," declared John quietly.

To the surprise of the boys George's father had arrived during their absence. He was an interested listener to the story which the boys had to relate, although none of them detected the sly glance which pa.s.sed between him and George. Evidently there was something understood by them which was unknown to the others.

"Yes," said Mr. Sanders when the boys were seated in the room. "There have been some strange occurrences in this part of the country from the days when it was first settled."

"I guess that's so," said Grant. "We were hearing about the young fellow who was captured up here in the Ramapo Pa.s.s in the Revolution."

"Do you mean young Montagnie?"

"We don't know his name," replied Grant, "but it was the one who was used by Washington as a messenger without his understanding it."

"That's the fellow," said Mr. Sanders. "I have always been greatly interested in him. I do not think people ever have appreciated the part he took in the plan which Washington wanted to try. He was a fine young chap, about twenty years of age, and was a licensed preacher. Washington had heard such good reports of him that when he came to try his plan he sent for young Montagnie one morning up on the Hudson at Dobbs Ferry. It was there the Continental army was encamped at the time. The general told Montagnie that he had heard good reports of him and the young soldier was so embarra.s.sed that he could only stammer his thanks. Then Washington went on to tell him that he wanted him to go across the country and through the Ramapo Pa.s.s and carry a message to General Heath, who was then at Morristown. He explained carefully how the papers were to be sewed inside the lining of his coat. Young Montagnie agreed, but suggested that he knew a better way across the country. There was danger of his being taken if he should go down through the Ramapo Valley. It is said that Washington drew himself up to his full height and looked sternly at the young soldier as he thundered at him, 'It is your business to obey.' And of course there was nothing more to be said."

"He must have had a strange feeling when he went down through the Pa.s.s,"

suggested John. "He knew what the danger was and at the same time he knew that he could find his way safely across the country without going into the Pa.s.s. It seems strange that he did not suspect the trick Washington was trying to play."

"Apparently he didn't suspect anything," said Mr. Sanders. "It was early in the morning when he entered the narrow defile. The only weapon he had was a stout club and he was swinging along at a good rate, confident that if he once safely got through the Pa.s.s many of his perils would be over. He had just entered one end of the Pa.s.s when he saw five men coming in at the other end.

"He instantly recognized the leader as young Richard Smith, whose father he had seen hanged up in Goshen a few days before this time. You see his father was one of the worst of the cowboys. At least many of his dastardly deeds were committed against the colonists, but he didn't stop for that and he was willing to have dealings with either side, provided he made by the transaction."

"What was he hanged for?" inquired John.

"Why, the people became so indignant at last that about two hundred of the boys and men started after him one day. Of course he ran then, but they chased him clear down to Long Island."

"Did they catch him?" inquired John.

"They most certainly did, and they brought him back to Goshen and he was hanged there in the courtyard. Then his son, Richard, declared he would revenge his father's death and it was this young man whom Montagnie saw when he came into the Ramapo Pa.s.s just at sunrise that morning away back in 1781.

"The young messenger felt of the letter inside the lining of his coat to make sure that it was safe and grasping his club more firmly and doing his utmost to appear indifferent he at once turned and approached the men. Very likely he would have run if he thought he could escape in that manner, but he had no weapon except his club while the others were armed. He well knew that if he should try to escape they would at once start after him.

"He quietly saluted the men when he pa.s.sed them and received a grunt from Richard in response. However, he was not critical, as now he was hoping that his peril had been pa.s.sed. He was not to get away so easily, however, for before he came out into the open road he was hailed by the men behind him and ordered to stop. Once more the young preacher was tempted to run, but he was aware that his effort would be useless.

Accordingly he waited for the men to come back to him, and when Richard Smith gruffly demanded who he was and where he was going he answered in a general way saying that he was simply going across the country, 'That won't do,' said Richard loudly, 'that may mean to New York or it may mean to Morristown. Who are you anyway?'

"By this time Montagnie was convinced that he was in deadly peril and he quickly decided to sell his life as dearly as possible. Swinging his club he knocked down one of them and leaping over his prostrate body started up the steep side of the Pa.s.s. For some reason he was not fired upon but before he gained the top he was astonished to see two of the party whom he had left in the valley now approaching from above him, almost as if they had dropped out of the clouds."

"How did they do it?" inquired Grant.

"Very likely they knew of a short cut. At all events the young messenger was caught between the two parties. They took him to a little shanty in the woods and then began to search him. They cut his hat into shreds, and of course found nothing valuable. Then they made him take off his coat and as soon as they had cut the lining they discovered the letters which were hidden there.

"Young Montagnie expected every moment that he would be shot or hanged.

One of the common methods of hanging employed by the cowboys in those days was to put a noose around the prisoner's neck, tie the rope to the limb of a tree after they had put the man on horseback, and then, when they struck the horse and it started quickly, the wretched victim was left hanging in the air. But for some unexplained reason young Montagnie was simply kept in the house three days. Then when he still confidently believed that he was being led to his death he was taken down the Hudson and carried across to New York, where he was shut up in the old Van Cortlandt Sugar House, which stood near the corner of what is now Broadway and Cortlandt Street. You see there were so many American prisoners in New York that the British had to make use of some of the big buildings besides the jails."

"Yes," suggested John, "I have heard that they used some of the churches as jails."

"They did," responded Mr. Sanders.

"Well, what happened to young Montagnie?"

"I was just about to tell you," said Sanders, smiling as he spoke.

"Naturally he felt very bitter when he found himself a prisoner in the old sugar-house. He was so thoroughly convinced that his capture was useless and that he might have made his way successfully across the country to Morristown, that he was angry at Washington for his arbitrary command.

"However, three days later his keeper showed him a copy of _Rivington's Gazette_. Rivington was a printer in New York and was a very bitter Tory. Montagnie was not especially interested when he first took the paper, but in a moment he was keenly excited when his eye fell upon an announcement that one of Washington's messengers had been captured and that valuable information had been found concealed in his coat. The statement further announced that in this paper was a letter from General Washington to General Heath in which the commander explained that he was about to attack the British in New York and expected to find General Clinton entirely unprepared for such action.

"And at that very time," resumed Mr. Sanders, "Washington with his little army had crossed the Delaware River and was on his way toward Yorktown to help Greene and Lafayette. It was impossible now for Clinton to leave New York, believing as he did that it was about to be attacked, and even after he had found out the trick which Washington had played upon him it was too late for him to try to transport his army by sea because Washington would arrive at Yorktown before the red coats possibly could come to the aid of Cornwallis. The battle of Yorktown followed, as you know, and Cornwallis and his army were made prisoners.

Indeed it was at Yorktown that really the final independence of the Colonies was won. But I have always felt that the part which young Montagnie took in winning the victory at Yorktown has never been known as it ought to be."

"What became of him?" inquired Fred.

"I don't know. I have often tried to find out," replied Mr. Sanders.

"You see the men in those days were so busy making history that they had little time in which to write it. As a consequence there are many things which we would like to know, but do not."

"Now," continued Mr. Sanders as he arose from his seat, "I understand that you boys have lost an automobile."

"We didn't lose it," exclaimed George; "it was stolen."

"It seems to me," said Mr. Sanders, "that if you had an automobile and haven't one now you must have lost it, whatever the way in which it disappeared."

CHAPTER XI-THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING CAR

"What are you going to do?" inquired Mr. Sanders.

"We don't know what to do," explained Fred. "We thought when you came out here you would tell us."

"I think I shall leave it for you boys to settle among yourselves."

"But don't you want to get your car back?" demanded Grant in surprise.

"Indeed I do," said Mr. Sanders.