The Liberty Boys Running the Blockade Part 4

"If you attempt to stop me you do it at your own risk. One of those men is an enemy to the country and the other an enemy to society, and I purpose to arrest them both."

"Run, Hughson!" muttered the thief. "I'll fix the young rebel. He threw me downstairs last night, and---"

d.i.c.k sprang upon the table, leaped to the floor, seized the thief by the collar and dragged him to the door, and then, turning upon the men in the place, said:

"If any one attempts to follow he will get hurt, so I advise you to remain where you are!"

Then, dragging the man out of the door, he said:

"The spy can wait. I have got you and you will have to give an account of yourself. Keep quiet, or I will hand you over to the bailiffs at once. You must know by this time that I am a boy of considerable determination."

They were in the alley by this time, and d.i.c.k, with his hand on the man's collar, continued:

"Will you go along quietly or shall I call a constable?"

"H'm! you've got more pluck than a dozen constables!" the fellow growled. "Oh, I'll go along with you, 'cause you've got the best o' me.

You didn't get Hughson, anyhow. How did you know I was with him?"

"I did not, but I knew you and was determined to have you. You can give me some information concerning the stone house, and later I will look after the spy."

The man gave a grunt, and by that time they were out upon a side street leading into Broadway or to the river.

"We will go there now," said d.i.c.k. "Some of the Liberty Boys are waiting for me at the house and we can continue our investigations with your a.s.sistance."

"Huh! you seem to think I am going to tell you all I know about the place," muttered the man. "S'pose I don't?"

"Then you will get into worse trouble," shortly.

It was dark in the room, so the boys could not see the man who had challenged them, their matches having burned out: Harry stumbled over something on the floor and fell headlong, Sam falling on top of him. At the same instant came a flash and a report, and the boys saw the man about to make a dash for the door. Will lighted another match, and Harry and Sam managed to scramble to their feet, but were not quick enough to intercept the man, who made a sudden spring, dashed Will aside, and was out into the pa.s.sage.

"After him!" cried the boys in unison.

But that was a difficult matter, for the pa.s.sage, like the room, was cluttered with packages and bundles of various sizes. They could hear the sound of his footsteps, but could catch no glimpse of him, nor could they tell which way he had gone, for pa.s.sages seemed to open on both sides.

"H'm! I'm afraid we've lost him!" exclaimed Will, as they came to a standstill in the dark. "I wish we had a better light than these matches give. It's impossible to chase around here in the dark among all these boxes and packages, and with pa.s.sages leading every which way."

"Listen!" exclaimed Harry. "There's some one coming this way."

There was the sound of more than one man coming toward them from the river side of the house.

"We might better conceal ourselves," whispered Will.

The three boys quickly drew to one side, and feeling a barrel standing near the wall, one dropped behind it, while another hid behind a box, and the other concealed himself in an angle of the wall. The sounds did not proceed from the pa.s.sage through which the three boys had just pa.s.sed, but from one on the right side, and seemed to come from more than one person and who were trying to proceed quietly, evidently with the intention of keeping their presence unknown as long as possible.

"They must be somewhere about here," they heard some one whisper. "We must never let them get away."

Then suddenly a lantern flashed its light over their heads, and they heard the words:

"Well, they're not here, at any rate."

The steps pa.s.sed their hiding places, and the boys decided that there were three men.

"If we could meet them on our own ground, we'd be more than a match for them," muttered Harry. "But this strange place and in the dark, we'd be completely at their mercy."

"Yes, and with the other rascal lurking about," answered Sam.

Just then they heard a long, shrill, peculiar whistle. The boys started, for they did not recognize it. Following almost immediately came the report of fire arms.

"Come along, boys!" cried Harry. "There's something doing somewhere, and we must be on the spot!"

They all rushed on blindly in the dark, following the direction whence the shot proceeded, the way still as dark as Erebus, but seemingly straight ahead. When d.i.c.k and his partner reached the stone house on the river, the man would have pa.s.sed the door, but d.i.c.k held him back, saying sharply:

"I know the house. I want to save time by having you show me its secret pa.s.sages and explain what nefarious practices are being carried on in the place."

The man made no reply, but walked up the steps to the front door, opened it with a key, and then pa.s.sed into the unlighted hall, into which the daylight could not penetrate, on account of the solid wooden door shutting it off from the street, and the doors into the rooms all being closed. A sudden misgiving seized d.i.c.k. Had he been prudent in coming into this strange house alone with an avowed enemy? It was true the Liberty Boys were somewhere about, but could they reach him in time, should danger present itself? He drew out both pistols, and backed against the wall, while he made the man procure a light. Instead he gave a long shrill whistle, which was immediately answered, and there could be heard the onrushing of feet. The Tory gave a mocking laugh, exclaiming:

"Captain Slater of the Liberty Boys has walked into his own trap!"

The only reply d.i.c.k made was to give the melancholy hoot of an owl. The prisoner jumped and looked about, and then laughed a little sheepishly, but at the same instant, there came bursting into the hallway the three ruffians who had pa.s.sed the other boys such a short time before.

"Surrender!" hissed the Tory.

CHAPTER VI.--In Dangerous Quarters.

"Not at all!" cried d.i.c.k, pistols in hand and barring the pa.s.sage of the three men. "Stop where you are! Hallo, boys!"

"All right, Captain, here we are!" shouted Sam and Harry.

"Sure we'll be with ye in a minyute, Captain dear!" answered the Irish Liberty Boy.

"Off dere was some fighding been we was dere already pooty quick, I bet me!" laughed Carl.

"Who is in a trap now?" asked d.i.c.k, with a laugh.

Then the five Liberty Boys suddenly dashed up and leaped upon the smugglers or Tories, whichever they were. In a moment they were disarmed, d.i.c.k putting his pistol to his prisoners head and saying sternly:

"Now perhaps you will tell me what I want to know. You men are thieves, smugglers, Tories, aren't you?"

"We make our money with as little trouble as possible," the man replied.

"And you have helped spies of the enemy to get information?"

"For pay, yes. Hughson would have paid us well if we could have delivered you to him."

"Take these fellows to Putnam's quarters, boys," said d.i.c.k. "He will know how to deal with them. Patsy, get me a torch or a lantern."

"Sure there do be wan just beyant, Captain. Wan o' thim rapscallions dhropped it. Oi'll have it for ye in a minyute."