The Minute Boys of Boston Part 37

The very fact of his having made such a venture frightened me, even though it was all happily come to an end, and to our advantage, as it seemed. Once more I trembled with fear, and then, realizing that Archie and Harvey must be burning with impatience to know why we delayed coming into the cellar, I said to Hiram that he should remain where he was while I sent our comrades up that they might hear the wonderful story.

He was perfectly willing to do as I suggested, for it pleased him to repeat the tale of having tricked the lobster backs, and I wondered not that he should feel a pride in what had been done, therefore I went into the cellar, telling the lads that there was one in the room above who would have speech with them.

"I thought I heard Hiram's voice," Archie said, wheeling about to face me, for he had understood that I would have him believe a stranger had come.

"So it was Hiram's voice," I replied, "and you will not be saddened by that which he has to tell."

"So he had the good luck to get back, did he?" Job Lord asked grimly, and it must have been a grievous disappointment to the man who had believed firmly that Hiram could not remain at liberty ten minutes while on the street.

"Aye, he has come back," I said, "and now there is little question but that you and Seth will go with us to Cambridge," I replied in a tone of triumph, for the longer I had time to realize what arrangements my comrade had made, the stronger was my belief that we would carry the enterprise through in safety.

The pallor of fear came over Seth Jepson's face at these words; but Job Lord gave no token of being disturbed in mind, and for the very good reason, as I afterward came to know, that he did not believe we could work such a scheme.

"When you show that it is possible to take this lad and me through the streets of Boston as prisoners, then I will be willing to believe I stand in danger of seeing the rebel army in Cambridge; but not before.

You are putting all your faith in that safeguard and the order from General Gage, which were stolen from me; but you are like to be in more danger with, than without them, for the king's officers in this town know me full well, and your man Griffin cannot pa.s.s himself off in my stead."

Master Lord spoke in a tone of conviction, and this seemed to give Seth a little courage, for straightway the color came into his face again, and he looked up at me with a sickly smile, as if to say that he was not to be taken in by any threats I might make.

It would have pleased me hugely had it been safe to tell the double-faced scoundrel how thoroughly well Hiram had laid his plans, and how readily some of the king's people could be made to swallow the story he told. But I refrained from doing so because it was yet possible something might occur which would give the man an opportunity to reveal our plans to those who might thwart them.

While I sat by the bedside leaning over the prisoners in a menacing att.i.tude, ready to carry out the threats we had made in case they should attempt to raise an outcry, we could hear shouts of laughter from Archie and Harvey as Hiram told of tricking the Britisher, and I was of the opinion that those sounds of mirth went further toward convincing Master Lord that we were in shape to do as I had said, than any words of mine could have done, for he began to look seriously disturbed, turning his head first one way and then the other as if striving to catch a word now and then to get an inkling of what was being said.

Those in the room above did not return to the cellar for a long time, as it seemed to me; but when they were come below Hiram went to the table and began eating heartily, for we had not taken the trouble to put the food away after our last meal was ended, and said to me in a business-like tone as he ate hurriedly:

"It is close to sunset, lad, and I count on setting forth about my work without delay, for it strikes me we had better leave here as near to nine of the clock as may be. While I am gone you three shall fill your stomachs, and it won't be a bad idea to share the food with the prisoners, for they have a reasonably long journey before them."

Although I had been waiting impatiently for this time to come, his words sent a chill through my heart, and it was as if I had not been prepared to hear them. The knowledge that we were come to the very moment of making as desperate a venture as I dare say had ever been made in Boston, frightened me, and my breath came thick and fast as I asked, much as though I would delay the fateful moment:

"Would it not be better that you wait until night has fully come?"

"When I have work on hand that isn't as pleasant as it might be, it's a whim of mine to set about it without delay, and, besides, I'd rather take my chances at the Bridewell before nine of the clock than afterward."

"It makes little difference what time you set out, for you'll spend the remainder of the night, whether you go late or early, in prison," Master Lord growled, and Hiram made answer with a laugh:

"I shall be back within an hour, my two-faced friend, and my coming will be the signal for your setting out to visit in Cambridge those over whose eyes you have pulled the wool this many a day."

"I shall believe in going to Cambridge when I get there, and not before," Job Lord said surlily; but I could detect a tone of anxiety such as he had never shown before, which was not to be wondered at, for Hiram acted and spoke like a man who knows beyond a peradventure that matters will go exactly as he has arranged.

I followed Griffin up the ladder when, his hurried repast at an end, he ascended to the room above, and there, while he unbarred the door I asked tremulously:

"What shall we do in case Master Lord's Tory friends come while you are gone?"

"Pay no attention to them, lad; that is the only course. If you remember, Lord said there was no danger of any one's coming until after sunset, which was much the same as telling us that then he expected visitors, therefore it is I am pushing matters forward sooner than would otherwise be the case. Of course there's a chance they may make trouble for us; but if I am not delayed at the Bridewell, we will be on our road to Cambridge before they arrive."

"But suppose you, coming back with Silas, having compa.s.sed his release without trouble, find here two or three demanding admittance?"

"Then it will be a case of waiting a short time, and if they persist in hanging around we must take the chances of a fight. I will knock on the shutter as has been agreed upon, and if when Silas and I come in there are others who follow us, we must be ready to do by them as we have by Job Lord: but I'm hoping we won't be put to that trouble."

Hiram laughed as he spoke these last words, yet I could not believe that it was from mirth, but rather a desire to hearten me by letting it appear he had no fear as to the final result, when all the while I knew there must be in his mind many a question as to whether he could play his part before the officers of the Bridewell, as he had with the thick-headed sergeant.

Then he went out with never a word of farewell, and strode off into the gloom, walking steadily with head upright like the true man he had ever shown himself to be, and I closed and barred the door while a fervent but unspoken prayer went up from my heart that it might be permitted him to pa.s.s unscathed through the danger which menaced, because of the justness of the Cause for which he labored.

Again we three lads sat near the prisoners in what was very like fear. I know for my part that I was trembling so violently that I failed in attempting to take up a bit of meat in order to carry out Hiram's instructions, and I know full well that any one close by might have heard the beating of my heart.

"We are not filling our stomachs as Hiram commanded," Archie cried, striving to appear light-hearted as he rose to his feet and set about arranging the provisions on the table so they might look more palatable.

"Everything must be in readiness for a quick start when he comes back, and eating is the first of the duties to be performed."

"You'll have plenty of time to eat 'twixt now and his return," Master Lord growled. "The next person who enters this house will be one of his majesty's officers, come to learn how General Gage's order pa.s.sed from my possession into that of the rebels'."

We made no reply to this remark, not being in a mood to bandy words with the villain, for all our thoughts and hearts had gone out with Hiram, while in fancy we could see him meeting with suspicion when he was come to the Bridewell, and finally clapped into a cell without having been so near Silas as to have speech with him.

I had no desire for food, and doubtless my comrades felt much the same; but yet we ate because of having been told so to do, and forced the meat down our throats when it was like to choke us.

Seth Jepson was not as averse to filling his stomach as were we, and ate greedily when Harvey fed him, while Master Lord positively refused to accept a mouthful of anything save water, of which he drank eagerly at short intervals, thus telling me that there was, despite all his brave words, a fear in his heart which parched his tongue.

Now because it was past sunset, when, according to what Job Lord had said some time before, there might be danger of Tory visitors, we took all precautions to prevent our prisoners from crying out. In fact, Archie proposed that we gag them then and there; but I, believing Hiram, even though he succeeded in all his purpose, would be long delayed, had no heart to cause them suffering which might be avoided. I proposed that we pull the bed out from the wall so that he could sit with bare knife by the side of Seth, while I looked after the man who had deceived our people so many days, and once more we promised to take their worthless lives without compunction if they raised their voices ever so slightly.

The time pa.s.sed slowly, wearingly, painfully on, and there we sat by the side of the prisoners ready to take their lives if need be, while Harvey paced to and fro, or ascended the ladder to the upper room only to descend, until the noise of his footsteps well nigh drove me to distraction, and I cried out that unless he remained quiet I should lose my senses.

"You lost them when you embarked in such an enterprise as this of making me prisoner," Job Lord snarled. "But what could be expected of three boys, led on by a crazy man? I would have set your comrade free, and sent you on your way in safety; but that you must needs upset all my plans."

"The setting of Silas free and sending us back to our friends was not a part of your plan, Job Lord," I said in a low tone, fearing lest even then some one might be approaching the house; but determined to thrash the matter out with the double-faced villain, if for no other purpose than to occupy the time which was dragging so painfully.

"How else could it be, since I failed to deliver you up to the British?"

he asked with an air of innocence. "Had I been so minded, you would have been made prisoners within an hour after coming into this house, and the fact that you were not taken into custody shows that I was playing honestly with you."

"Which proves that you had some plan in mind which could be made to work more of harm to the Cause if we were held here," I said, and then there came into my mind Hiram's words when he was telling the story of the British sergeant, and I added sharply, as if having discovered all his scheming, "We were to be held here as bait in a trap for some of our people whom you hoped to catch, and who would be more of value to General Gage than we three lads."

He turned his eyes toward me quickly, as a deep flush overspread his face, and I knew full well that I had hit the mark while repeating much the same as Hiram had invented for the benefit of the sergeant.

I continued to dwell upon the matter, hoping he might be provoked into telling me for what purpose he counted on taking from the Bridewell one of our people who had been captured at Breed's hill; but the scoundrel was sharp enough to hold his peace regardless of what I said, never letting out a word that could serve as an inkling to that portion of the plan.

As I sat there by his side, my ears strained to catch the first sound which should tell of Tory visitors or of Hiram's return, I believed I knew it was Silas Brownrigg whom he would have selected from among the prisoners, and that he had been trying to keep us quiet, not daring to bring the lad down from the Bridewell until the last moment lest we should insist on leaving Boston immediately afterward.

Once such a thought came into my mind, I repeated it to him, catching again a glimpse of the dark flush which told, to my mind at least, that the blow had struck home.

Archie must have been in much the same frame of mind as was I before beginning this conversation with Job Lord, for now he cried out sharply, as if the sound of my voice jarred upon his quivering nerves:

"In the name of all that's good, Luke Wright, hold your peace! We can't better ourselves by bandying words with such as Master Lord, and it may be some one from the outside will hear you."

Even as he spoke there came to our ears distinctly three smart raps on the outer door, and I leaned over Master Lord with my knife upraised, for I knew that now was come our time of greatest peril.

CHAPTER XVIII

TURNING THE TRICK