The Liberty Boys Running the Blockade Part 9

"Yes, I will have it brought at once. Jenkins, get the drover's horse immediately."

"You will let me finish my pipe and pot, won't you?" asked the spy. "You took me rather by surprise."

"If you are not long over them," answered d.i.c.k.

Bob meanwhile, had deftly searched the man for concealed weapons and had taken them all away, so that Hughson might not cheat them by killing himself. He drank a pot of homebrew and puffed at his pipe under the trees, and then the groom announced that his horse was ready and he was quickly in the saddle. He said nothing as he rode away between the two boys, but seemed to be thinking deeply.

"You rebels don't have very much money," he said at last. "What would you consider a fair amount to allow me to escape?"

"You have made two serious errors," replied d.i.c.k coolly. "First, we are not rebels, as I have frequently told you, and second we are not for sale. Do you think we are as mean as yourself, who a.s.sociate with thieves and murderers to gain your ends? There is not money enough in the world to induce us to violate our oaths."

"But why should you deliver me up to death, when I have never done you harm?"

"You forget last night," tersely. "Who tied me in a sack and threw me into the river?"

"Well, but I gave you a knife to---"

"You did not. That was Tom Fletcher. You had nothing to do with it. You came out upon the river in a boat afterward to look for me, fearing that I would escape. Don't add lying to your other faults."

The man rode on in silence for ten or fifteen minutes, and then suddenly said:

"You will be no better off if you do deliver me up to your rebel general, for Howe will be in possession of your wretched little city by tomorrow and the lot of you may be shot."

"If it is such a wretched little city, why does General Howe bother himself about it?" laughed Bob, d.i.c.k saying nothing.

"If you will let me go I will find a way for you to escape, and---"

"If you say another word on that subject I will gag you!" interrupted d.i.c.k sternly. "We are not to be bought, I tell you!"

Hughson flushed and remained silent after that, and at length the boys met some American soldiers and turned the spy over to them.

"That disposes of him," said d.i.c.k shortly.

"Yes, but he has been a very troublesome fellow, and would have been if we had not caught him. That was a very fortunate meeting."

"Except for him!" grimly.

"Very true, but, as Patsy says, we don't consider the enemy's feelings in such matters."

Returning to the camp, the boys heard from Mark that there had been considerable activity among the ships of the enemy during the afternoon, and that there were more at Governor's Island and one or two much nearer the mouth of the Hudson than during the morning.

"It is all very threatening," declared d.i.c.k, "and I think that the spy was right when he said that Howe will try to be in possession of the city by to-morrow. At the latest, it cannot be more than a day or two and then we must look out for ourselves."

"As we generally have to do!" laughed Bob.

CHAPTER X.--Caught in a Trap.

There was time enough before supper for d.i.c.k to visit the general, and shortly after his arrival in camp he went out afoot and made his way across the Commons and down Broadway. Seeing the general, d.i.c.k informed him of the capture of the spy, and what the man had said about Howe.

"It looks as if we might have trouble in a short time, Captain," the veteran answered, "and you will hold your Liberty Boys in readiness to act at a moment's notice at all times."

"I will do so, General," replied d.i.c.k. "If there is to be any fighting, the Liberty Boys will be glad to take part in it and do their share in opposing the advance of the enemy."

"I have always found them ready to do that, Captain," Putnam replied, "and to do it well, too. I have every confidence in you and the Liberty Boys, Captain, and I know that you will all do your best wherever you may be posted."

d.i.c.k then saluted and left the general, taking his way down to the lower end of the island in order to see for himself what was going on among the ships. On Whithall wharf he suddenly came face to face with Fletcher, Tom's father, the man being in a semi-intoxicated state at the time, and glaring fiercely at him as he said:

"You got away last night, you confounded rebel, but you don't do it again so easy. What have you done with my wife and the young ones? Nice business, ain't it, turning a wife against a husband?"

"You have turned her against you by your own outrageous conduct," d.i.c.k retorted. "If you had treated them right, your family would have remained with you, but you cannot expect anything better when you act as you have."

"Where have they gone? I have a right to everything that any of them earns, and I'm going to have it. Tom is under age, I have brought him up, and I can claim everything he has, and whatever my wife has also. I know my rights, I tell you!" savagely.

"Do you know your duties, as well?" sharply. "I don't care what the law is in your case. I know what justice is. You made an attempt upon my life last night, and if I choose to make a charge against you, I could put you on trial for your life."

The man was not so much intoxicated that he could not understand d.i.c.k's position and his own danger, and he turned pale and moved hurriedly away, losing himself in the crowd that thronged the wharf at the time.

"I don't think I shall have any more trouble from Mr. Fletcher," thought d.i.c.k, "or not on account of this affair, at any rate."

He remained on the wharf till nearly sunset, and then set out for the camp, where he arrived shortly before supper. There was an alarm during the night, and early the next morning d.i.c.k learned that some ships had pa.s.sed up both rivers, and not long after this there was the sound of heavy firing at some distance above the city, and the boys knew that the enemy had succeeded in landing troops. There was great excitement in the city, and many of the inhabitants began leaving in great haste.

d.i.c.k hurried off to Putnam's quarters, and soon afterward word was received that the city was to be evacuated. The general despatched d.i.c.k to the lower part of the city to see that there were no ships coming up the river and to warn the men at the lower batteries to leave. d.i.c.k took Bob and a dozen or more of the boys with him and hurried away on foot, sending Mark and the rest of the boys toward the upper part of the island. The boys had performed a part of their mission and were returning, when they suddenly heard a great bombarding from the river and at the same time saw a considerable body of redcoats coming toward them.

"To the stone house, boys!" hissed d.i.c.k. "These fellows know nothing of it and we are safe there."

The stone house was the nearest place of refuge, and the boys hurried to it, the redcoats losing sight of them. They reached the place in safety, and were all inside and out of sight before the redcoats came to the wharf and began to look for them. The door above was closed and looked as if it had not been open in months, the boys not having been seen to enter it. d.i.c.k and Bob hurried below, leaving Ben, Harry, Sam and others at the upper door, while the rest scattered through the building. There were a few persons on the wharf below when the redcoats came along, but these had not seen the boys and knew nothing about them.

"What place is that?" asked a sergeant of redcoats of one of the loungers, pointing to the stone house.

"Just an old warehouse," the man answered.

"Is there any one in it?"

"No, not now," was the reply.

d.i.c.k was listening at the door, and he knew the man to be one of the rascals who had been in the house but had escaped. There was a reason, therefore, for the man not saying very much about the place.

"Why not?" the sergeant asked.

"Because the rebels arrested 'em and took all the stuff out," the man replied.

"We shall have to get a look at the place," the redcoat said, and he promptly went to the door with a dozen of his men.

The door was locked and was very strong, and the sergeant speedily came to the conclusion that there was little use in trying to force it and so gave up the attempt.

"Have you seen any rebels about here?" he asked, but the other man was gone, and those he spoke to said: