The Minute Boys of Boston Part 14

And now, because during the week that followed nothing of import happened so far as we Minute Boys were concerned, I will pa.s.s over that time with as few words as may be.

During these days Hiram failed to keep his word in regard to coming back; Archie remained in camp as a matter of course, since it would have been the height of folly for him to venture into Boston, and it was as if Silas had decided to stay with the army.

Seth Jepson seemed striving to show himself exceedingly busy in the work that had been set him, and took advantage of every opportunity to report the lightest word he heard from the enemy; but, however, bringing nothing of importance which would warrant the sending of a message to our people.

Harvey and I came to the conclusion that the Britishers believed it best to keep secret the fact that a prisoner could escape so readily, and since Archie was no great catch, having been taken into custody only because found prowling around the streets at night, they were fairly willing to let go their grip of him.

During this time, however, General Gage had not been idle. It will be remembered that I have set down the substance of an agreement between the selectmen of the town and the king's representative, to the effect that any person so disposed might leave the town, after having deposited his weapons at Faneuil Hall.

I have also stated what Master Nelson and Master Landers had discussed, and it seemed that the Tories of Boston exerted considerable influence over General Gage, for after having allowed a few of the people to go out with their household belongings under the protection of a pa.s.s signed by himself, the governor put his foot down against any women or children leaving. It was much the same as if he had said he would not keep his pledged word.

We, who were shut up in Boston, learned that the people of Charlestown, who formerly numbered nearly three thousand, had become so alarmed that they left their homes, believing the Americans in Cambridge could afford them better protection than might be had from the king's hirelings. So thoroughly panic stricken were the inhabitants, that it was said no more than two hundred now remained in the village.

We heard now and then of this colony or of that sending troops or money to our aid, although how the news came I cannot say, and it was whispered among the people who were true to the Cause, that Rhode Island had sent as many as fifteen hundred men under Brigadier Nathaniel Greene.

Connecticut voted to raise six thousand soldiers, and the Provincial Congress pa.s.sed an act authorizing the enrollment of two thousand troops in addition to those who were already in the field.

Nor did the Britishers content themselves with the large force already in Boston. The Cerberus man-of-war came into the harbor having on board, in addition to the troops, three generals: Howe, Clinton and Burgoyne.

It was as if General Gage had until this time considered his army too small to cope with our people, but now that new troops were arrived, increasing his force to at least ten thousand men, he gathered courage to impose yet further upon us, and issued a proclamation which declared the town under martial law, stating in the doc.u.ment that all our people who favored the Cause were "rebels, parricides of the Const.i.tution." He offered a free pardon to all who would swear to serve the king loyally, with the exception of Masters John Hanc.o.c.k and Samuel Adams. These last two he declared traitors, and offered a reward for their capture.

We in Boston had had but little liberty under the British rule, and now were to be treated more like prisoners than before, for any red-coat holding the king's commission could seize us on the streets, or even take us from our homes, without form of law; but simply because of his own whim or suspicion.

I had more than once, at the time when it was believed General Gage would be gentleman enough to keep his word and allow the citizens to leave the town, urged upon my mother that she seek safety near the American army, but she, dear soul, hesitated to abandon her home, and I failed to insist as strongly as I might have done, fearing lest her going would involve mine also, thus depriving me of an opportunity to serve the Cause with my company.

Then came the time when the Britisher who called himself a gentleman, went back on his word, refusing to allow women or children to go out from the town, and there was no longer an opportunity for her to escape.

As the days rolled on and we neither saw those of our number who had fled to Cambridge, nor were called upon for any service, it began to appear to me as if I need not have been so eager to remain in Boston because of the Minute Boys, since most like there were so many men joining the American army that lads were no longer considered of any account.

Then came the day when Hiram Griffin suddenly appeared, coming to my home at the moment when my mother and I were breaking our fast, and one might have fancied from his manner and the business-like way in which he spoke, that no more than a dozen hours had pa.s.sed since we last saw him.

I literally overwhelmed him with questions, so eager was I to learn of Archie, and what progress our people might have been making against the king which had not come to us in Boston, until before each had satisfied the other's curiosity the forenoon was nearly half spent.

He told me that he and my comrade had arrived at Cambridge the morning after the escape, having encountered no danger on the way, and being forced to land at the Penny ferry owing to the fact that the wind blew so strongly they could not hope to pull the boat down to the Charles river. Silas had gained the encampment and unfolded his budget of news before they arrived.

From some of our people who came out of the town under pa.s.s from General Gage, it was learned that no action had been taken by the Britishers regarding Archie's escape, yet it was not safe for him to venture into Boston. Silas had remained with the army because, so his father believed, there was no real need of his coming back until work had been found for us Minute Boys to do. Master Brownrigg claimed that there were enough of us in town to get all the information regarding the Britishers that could be desired. In fact, as Hiram represented it, there was little need for us lads to act the part of spies while so many of our people could procure a British pa.s.s.

Now, however, was come the time when we lads, were called upon to show of what metal we were made, and, therefore, Hiram had been sent to summon the Minute Boys; not on an expedition of a warlike nature, much to my sorrow, but simply to aid in the work of gathering supplies for the army at Cambridge.

Our soldiers numbered no less than sixteen thousand, so Hiram a.s.sured me, and while the people from the country round about gave generously from their stores, it was a difficult matter for the leaders, all unprepared as they were to care for such a body of men, to keep up the supply of provisions. It had been decided that, not only in order to provide rations for our own people, but to aid in cutting off food from the enemy, the farms on the islands near to Boston were to be ravaged and everything eatable, whether belonging to friend or foe, was to be transported to Cambridge, if indeed that might be done.

Now it seems, as I learned later, for he himself was all too modest to admit having been given command of an important undertaking, that Hiram had been charged with the work of seizing on Noddle and Hog islands such provisions as might be found, to which end he was provided with two small sloops, and had selected from the army four men whom he could trust to aid him in the task.

As a matter of course such small force was all insufficient to perform the necessary labor; but he had hit upon the plan of impressing us Minute Boys into service, and therefore it was that during the night, and despite the strict guard kept by the Britishers, one of his vessels, taking advantage of a stiff breeze, had set him ash.o.r.e near to Hudson's point, from which place he made his way to my home.

"Now this is my plan;" he said to me when we were done with swapping information. "You have from now until nearly midnight to call your company together at the rope walk where I landed. Sometime between then and daybreak my comrades will either come near to the land in one of the sloops, or send two or three boats to bring you off, and an hour after sunrise, if so be everything goes as I have reckoned, we will be putting aboard a cargo of such stuff as shall fill the stomachs of those who are loitering near to Cambridge awaiting a good chance to slap his majesty in the face."

At the time it did not appear to me we Minute Boys were called upon to play any very heroic part in the so-called "rebellion." It seemed that there would be little of glory gained in loading the sloops with live stock, wheat and corn, and yet before the task was accomplished we Minute Boys of Boston saw what was a veritable battle, although on a small scale, but with as good an opportunity of shedding one's blood as the most ardent warrior could have desired.

I smile even at this late day when I think of what a simple I showed myself to be while setting about the task, for on summoning my comrades I was ashamed to tell them we were to work like drovers and farmers rather than as soldiers, therefore led each to understand we were bent on some secret mission to an island near by. And when one and another speculated as to the possible danger to be encountered, or of the opportunities of showing ourselves worthy to be called soldiers, I nursed such fancies until they believed we were going as an independent company to slaughter or to capture whole squads of trained, red-coated soldiers.

As a matter of course I set about the work of getting speech with each of my company immediately Hiram had finished explaining matters, and so difficult was it to find them all, scattered about the town as they were, that night had come before I returned to my home.

Then I had succeeded in warning every member of the company, even including Seth Jepson, to be at the rope walk on Barton's point, recommending that they come singly, rather than in couples or squads, so that there might be less chance to arouse suspicion, and right weary was I from much running to and fro.

Mother had made ready a hearty supper because of my having fasted at noon, and Hiram and I ate until the wonder was that we were not so heavy as to be incapable of active exercise. But when we set out for the rendezvous I speedily learned that whether my companion had spared the food, or devoured more than his share, it was possible for him to move at such a pace as caused me to breathe quickly and hard in the effort to keep at his heels.

It is not to be supposed that we could go from my home to Barton's point through the streets without coming upon some of the lobster backs, for since the town was put under martial law the watch had been replaced by soldiers, and there were so many of them patrolling the streets 'twixt sunset and sunrise that one could hardly poke his nose outside the door without brushing it against half a dozen.

We were not delayed in the short journey, however, because of my familiarity with the gardens and byways on the route, which admitted of our making fair progress while shunning the streets, and he who could have pounced upon us would indeed have been a quicker-witted lobster back than I have yet seen.

When we arrived at the rope walk we found some of the lads overly impatient, as indeed they had good cause to be, for those whom I warned earlier in the day had gone immediately to the rendezvous, therefore were forced to cool their heels there from six to eight hours, which must have seemed a long time when you realize that they were literally burning with impatience to play the part of soldiers, and I could not but ask myself with somewhat of anxiety, how they might view the situation when coming to understand that they were to be employed as drovers, or in carrying bags of grain from the sh.o.r.e to the vessels?

"Are they all here?" Hiram asked me when standing beneath the shelter of a lean-to which served as store-house, as he surveyed my company.

"Ay, every one of them," I replied carelessly, believing it was possible to see them all, and as I spoke Harvey Pearson piped up in his shrill voice:

"All save Seth Jepson. An hour ago he suddenly remembered that he must attend to some work which his mother had laid out for him, and went off at full speed, promising to come back before you showed yourselves."

"So! He's the lad you believed might have a leaning toward Toryism,"

Hiram said sharply as he wheeled about to face me, and on the instant I understood that he doubted the truth of Seth Jepson's excuse for leaving the company.

"How long did he stay here?" I asked of Harvey, whom I knew to have been one of the first to arrive at the rendezvous.

"Perhaps a couple of hours. I did not take much heed of the time because we were all speculating as to what duty might be required of us, and therefore the minutes pa.s.sed swiftly."

"Are all the others here?" and Hiram turned once more to me.

In order to be certain this time I called the names of each lad in turn, and, counting them, found we had thirteen present, which, with Archie and Silas, whom Hiram said were on board one of the sloops, made up our full number.

It could readily be seen that Griffin was sorely disturbed in mind because of Seth's absence, and his uneasiness was speedily shared by Harvey and me as we put our heads together, trying to make out how the lad might do us harm.

Once more I came to believe him an arrant Tory who had joined the company only that he might betray it. This was the first opportunity he had had to play the traitor, and it seemed of a verity he counted to take advantage of it, understanding that now was come the time when the king's men might find us in unlawful a.s.semblage with a member of the American army in our midst.

"He had no chance to betray us before, and has therefore acted as if his desires and ours run in the same channel," I said bitterly to Harvey, striving in vain to hit upon some plan by which we could thwart Seth's purpose. "Now has come the time when he may lay us all by the heels, and he intends to do it as surely as you and I stand here."

"Ay, so it appears to me," Harvey replied. "It is not reasonable to suppose the fellow would have left home knowing he was like to be gone several days, without first having made everything ready for his absence. Thus suddenly remembering something his mother told him to do, is a childish excuse, and shows that he thinks we are a party of idiots to take any stock in him."

"How long think you would it take a lad to go from here to the governor's house, have speech with him, and come back?" Hiram asked, and I knew full well he was trying to figure how many moments of freedom were left to us.

Harvey declared it might be done in less than two hours; but I was of the mind that much more time would be required, because even a Tory lad would not speedily be admitted into the presence of his high-mightiness, Governor Gage. Then there were the chances that this governor sent by the king might not be at home, or, receiving Seth at once, some little time would be required to muster a squad of soldiers, for it was likely that if they counted on taking into custody thirteen lads and a man a considerable show of force would be made. Therefore it was I set it down as three hours before we had good right to expect any result from Seth's sudden remembrance of his mother's desires.

"We'll make it two hours and run no risk," Hiram said after a moment's thought, and fell to pacing to and fro as if struggling to solve some question which he found difficult of answer.

Little was said by us lads as we stood there beneath the shelter of the lean-to. Each realized that in a short time he might be a prisoner, and all knew, or believed they knew, that there was much trouble in store for us through Seth Jepson.

During an hour I believe the only words I heard spoken were concerning what this lad or that would do to the traitor when the opportunity came, until tiring of hearing such idle words I said to Harvey impatiently:

"It is of little use for us who are in the frying pan to talk about throwing another into the fire. Instead of striving to decide how you may serve out Seth Jepson, when it is likely he will get the first blow at us, spend your time hunting for a means of escape, if so be the lobster backs come upon us."