The Liberty Boys Running the Blockade Part 8

The next morning Tom came into camp, the boys giving him a hearty cheer as soon as they knew who he was, and asked to see d.i.c.k.

"He has not come back all night," he said, and d.i.c.k knew that he referred to his father. "I do not think he will return. He is afraid to come back. I shall be very glad to leave the city because I think I shall get more work outside and mother and the children will do much better."

"I think it will be better for you all," d.i.c.k returned. "If the enemy gets hold of the city there will be much suffering, I am afraid. If you leave you will avoid this. I can find you a place where there will be work enough for all, and where you will not be troubled by your father when he is in his cups."

"He is always in them of late years and has greatly changed toward mother and all of us. The little children are afraid of him and will not go near him, but I must protect my mother."

"That is right, Tom. Always do it. Perhaps if your father stopped his bad habits he would be better again, but it is best for you to go away from him entirely and live apart until you see what changes time may bring about."

"Yes, I think so, and I shall go as far away as I can and start for myself. You know some good place?"

"Yes, and I can put your mother and the little ones, with good people where they will be taken care of until you are established, and they can look out for themselves. We live in Westchester, about twenty miles away, which will be far enough to keep your father from finding you and not too far away to get plenty of work."

"I shall be very glad to go there," simply.

"My mother and sister and the lieutenant's parents and sister live there, besides many of the boys' families, and it will be no difficult matter to get you all the work you can do, and work for your mother as well. It will be a better place to live than the city, and you will be in no danger from your father."

"I would like a place like that," said Tom. "It would be better for all of us!"

"Then I will make arrangements for your mother and the children to go up there at once and you can follow shortly. The enemy will eventually get possession of the city, and you will be better off out of it than in it.

"I will get ready as soon as you say, Captain," shortly.

"Then I think you had better not delay, for I believe that it is a matter of a few days only, perhaps not more than one, when the enemy will be in possession."

The boy then went away, and in half an hour Alice and Edith came to the camp, and d.i.c.k told them about Tom and his mother.

"I think you had better return shortly, Alice," he added, "and take the boy's mother and the little children with you. Tom will very soon establish himself when he gets there and will be much better off than in New York."

The girls were ready to go very shortly, for the evidences of the enemy's preparations to seize the city were more and more visible. One or two ships had gone up the East River the previous night, and the ships were all much nearer to the city than they had been the day before. After Alice and Edith had gone, d.i.c.k and Bob went down to the lower end of the city to investigate, and found one or two ships at Governor's Island, just opposite, the people in the lower sections being in a state of considerable anxiety.

"That looks as if there might be something going on in a short time,"

muttered Bob.

"I think so myself, and I am glad that I suggested to the girls that they had better leave. The British are getting ready to invade the city, and we don't know how soon they may attack us on all sides."

"Then we will all have to get out or else be obliged to run the blockade."

"Exactly, and we must learn all we can of Howe's moves."

During the afternoon Tom came to the camp with his mother and the little children, reporting that his father had not been seen since the night before, and that he thought the man feared arrest and had fled or was in hiding in some of the lower quarters of the city. d.i.c.k obtained a horse and chaise to take the mother and children, Tom driving, being more or less used to horses. The two girls came in just as these preparations had been completed, and it was shortly after dinner that they all started on their way to White Plains.

They were all glad to get away, and Tom was particularly pleased at the prospect of getting his mother out of the city, where her health and that of the children would be greatly improved, and where they would all be free from the fear of the father. When they all set out, the boys gave them a hearty cheer, and d.i.c.k and Bob went away with them, intending to ride a few miles and take a look at the river on the way.

The boys left him at the Greenwich village and then came back by the river road, in order to see whatever might be going on. They were something below the old village, when, nearing a tavern by the roadside, d.i.c.k reined in and said excitedly:

"There is that rascal now! I hope he has not seen us."

"Which rascal do you mean, d.i.c.k?" asked Bob, halting just behind d.i.c.k and looking around.

"Hughson, the spy. I did not see his face, but I know his figure. He is dressed as a drover and will probably go into the city, thinking that we do not know him."

"Was he at the inn, d.i.c.k?"

"Yes, drinking home-brew and smoking a long pipe, taking his comfort, evidently. As I saw his back only, it is not likely that he saw me."

"We ought to catch him, d.i.c.k."

"Yes, and this is a good place, as there are no Tories in the village, and the people of the inn will help us. Take the rear, Bob, and I will go to the front of the house."

The boys separated, d.i.c.k riding at once to the front door of the inn and dismounting. He saw the man at one of the windows and was sure of him.

In a moment the fellow turned, saw d.i.c.k and started for the rear. As he was going out, he suddenly saw Bob, who said quickly:

"Good morning, Mr. Hughson. I trust you had a comfortable night after your adventures on the river."

"I don't know you, my lad," returned the man, with a broad accent, "and my name is not Hughson. I'm in a bit of a hurry, and---"

"Your name may not be Hughson, fast enough, but you are a British spy and we want you. You do know me, but I will refresh your memory a bit. I am Lieutenant Bob Estabrook of the Liberty Boys, and you were captured by us a night or two ago in the city."

"Never saw you in my life, and I am not a spy, but as good a rebel as yourself," and the man hurried to the barn at the rear of the house.

"You are not a patriot," said Bob, following. "We do not call ourselves rebels."

Then Bob imitated the crowing of a c.o.c.k, and in a moment d.i.c.k came out and hurried forward. Hughson turned at the sound, saw d.i.c.k almost upon him, and whipped out a pistol. In an instant, however, Bob was upon him with a pistol at his head and his other hand on the spy's wrist.

Then Hughson suddenly found himself covered by a pistol in d.i.c.k's hand, the young captain saying:

"Take his weapon, Bob, and see if he has any others. Mr. Hughson, you are wanted in the city. Do you prefer going there dead or would you rather go alive?"

The man blanched, for he knew that he was in desperate straits and that his chances of escape were slight. He made a sudden dash, wrenching his hand free and attempted to fire at d.i.c.k, but Bob, by a quick thrusting out of his left foot, sent him upon his face on the gra.s.s. A man and a boy came running from the barn, and two housemaids appeared at the rear door shortly, followed by the landlord. d.i.c.k and Bob sprang forward and seized the man as he arose, holding him firmly.

"What is the trouble, Captain?" asked, the landlord, recognizing d.i.c.k, whom he had met before.

"We have caught a British spy, Boniface. He is a troublesome fellow and has already made his escape once."

"Bless my heart! A British spy, say you? Why, he told me he was a drover going into the city to get orders for cattle."

"And he told me he was a rebel," laughed Bob, "thus arousing my suspicions at once. We are not rebels and we do not recognize any."

"We call you rebels!" snarled the spy.

"But we do not," echoed d.i.c.k, "and if you were a better observer and consequently a better spy, you would have known it."

The others now came up and regarded the man with decided curiosity.

"The fellow had a horse, didn't he, Boniface?" asked d.i.c.k.

"Yes, he had, and a very good one."

"Will you have it brought out? We will lose no time in going back to the city."