Luckily I had wit enough to continue on toward the fire-place as if bent on doing something in the way of cooking, and had begun to rattle the pans before Master Lord descended the ladder. Not until then did it come to my mind that in the event of any trouble arising from this visit, I was in a good position to deal out to Seth Jepson that which he deserved.

"Getting hungry, eh?" Master Lord asked in an oily tone as he seated himself on one of the stools by the table, and Hiram stretched himself lazily as he replied:

"It must be late in the morning, and we are inclined for a bit to eat, although we haven't earned it."

"That's right, make yourselves as comfortable as possible, and don't worry about earning your food, because it is as free as the wind that blows. You'll earn all you get here, and much more, when the time for real work comes."

"Is that like to be soon?" Archie asked.

"As matters are moving, I believe you will find enough to keep you busy after getting back to Cambridge."

"I would we might start this very day!" Hiram exclaimed in so earnest a tone that I knew full well the words had come from his heart, without any thought of speaking for the sake of keeping up the pretense of friendship with Job Lord.

"So do I, lad, for your sake, because it must be dull work here; but remember that such a task as you have set yourselves is not to be performed in a minute, and you can well afford to wait many a long day if finally you are successful."

"What o'clock is it?" Hiram asked.

"Seven in the morning, and a dull day with a misty rain falling."

"Just the kind of weather for a visit to the Bridewell, if so be matters were right there," Hiram said quickly.

"Even though it were the worst tempest that ever raged, you could do nothing there while so many Britishers are on guard," Master Lord cried in a decisive tone, as if to put an end to any such conversation; but Hiram was not disposed to let the matter drop.

"It was in your mind that some of the lobster backs might be drawn off while General Gage is pushing his outposts on the Neck. How can you say that such may not have been done this very morning?"

"I shan't need many hours in which to settle that question, for it is in my mind to go there now, hoping I may be so fortunate as to get speech with your comrade."

At this moment I was cutting up the leg of lamb, putting the slices into a frying-pan as if intending to warm them, and Master Lord eyed me curiously, most like thinking I was an awkward lad at such work. His steady gaze annoyed me because I feared each instant he might discover that the position of the casks had been changed, and in my nervousness I went toward the table in order to place there the frying-pan, intending to give over my attempt at playing the cook.

While doing so, naturally my gaze was fixed upon the face of this man whom we knew to be an enemy while he professed to be a friend, and I saw an expression of surprise suddenly come over it as his eyes were fixed upon the screen to the tunnel.

"Been playing house-wife by setting things to rights?" he asked in an odd tone, as he rose to his feet and started with an a.s.sumption of carelessness toward the casks.

My heart leaped into my mouth fit to choke me. The moment had come when everything which we had done would be discovered, for he could not fail to see Seth if he stepped behind the screen, or of knowing what we had done when he looked at the contents of the casks.

It was my place, because of what we had agreed, to have leaped upon him on the instant, trusting that the others would follow my example, and yet so stupefied was I, whether through fear, or astonishment because the secret could not have been kept longer, that there was no movement on my part until Hiram Griffin, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, bounded forward like a cat, alighting on the shoulders of our treacherous host and bearing him, as a matter of course, to the floor.

Job Lord was possessed of greater strength than one might have fancied from his build, and although all three of us lads sprang on the instant to Hiram's aid, for I recovered from my stupefaction as quickly as I had fallen into it, he succeeded in turning Griffin completely over, gaining a hold upon his throat in such manner as threatened to put a speedy end to the struggling.

Hiram was not one who would lose his head at such a time, and straightway the two floundered about, first one on top and then the other, to such an extent that we who were anxiously striving for an opportunity to take part in the fight failed of so doing. Meanwhile Hiram's eyes were protruding as had Seth's, until I believed he would be strangled to death before we could get a hold of the traitor.

Finally, and after what seemed to me a full ten minutes, I contrived to seize Job Lord by the arm, and as I pulled at the limb Archie was able to get a hold on his throat, thus, as can well be imagined, bringing the fight to an end.

We lads had not done our part any too soon, for by the time Master Lord was forced to let go his grip, Hiram appeared to be nigh unto death, and indeed such a sorry spectacle did he present that I would have let go my hold of Job Lord in order to give him to drink, but that he cried hoa.r.s.ely, divining what was in my mind:

"Keep him fast, lad, keep him fast! I'll get my breath in a second," and then he struggled to his feet.

During all this time we had been fighting in silence, no one venturing to raise his voice; but now when he saw himself helpless and at our mercy Job Lord let out such a yell as might have been heard a full quarter-mile away, while from behind the casks Seth set up a whimpering cry, which was caused by fear rather than any desire to raise an alarm.

Even though we were in the cellar with a heavy flooring of planks above us, there could be no question but that Job Lord would succeed in alarming some of the neighbors unless his wind was shut off, and I saw Archie dig his fingers into the fellow's throat with a grip that must have caused intense pain, but yet I am bound to give the traitor credit for struggling to raise his voice again.

By this time Hiram had so far recovered as to take up the coat which had been used for the head of the dummy, and thrown on the floor when it was no longer of service, saying as he came forward:

"Let him open his mouth once more and I'll shove a clapper in that will put an end to any such noise."

Until now Job Lord's face, what with the choking and with anger, had been darkened, so to speak; there had been on it an expression of intense hatred, and a desire to do bodily harm, but when Hiram came up with that which would serve as a gag, he grew pale, while his lips quivered as if suddenly and for the first time realizing how completely he was in our power.

"I'm no such fool as not to know when I am whipped," and I am willing to give him credit for speaking firmly, even though he must have believed his very life was trembling in the balance. "There is no need to gag me, because I promise to hold my peace."

"Meaning that you will do so until some one knocks at the outer door, and then we shall hear from you again," Hiram cried hoa.r.s.ely.

"I'm not ready to say I wouldn't take advantage of any chance to call for help; but just now I'd give a lot to know how it was you imposed upon our friends to such an extent that they were willing to send you hither?"

I looked at the man in amazement, wondering what he meant, when Hiram cried in a voice thick with anger:

"Do you mean to keep up the pretense that you are serving the Cause rather than the king?"

"There are people in plenty, both at Cambridge and in this town, who have had so much information and a.s.sistance from me that they can swear with all truth that there is none more devoted to the Cause than I."

CHAPTER XVI

IMPORTANT DOc.u.mENTS

Even though I believed we had good proof that Master Lord was playing a double game, his a.s.sertion of loyalty to the Cause, made so earnestly and with such seeming good faith, staggered me.

Was it possible, I asked myself, that we were mistaken? Had we allowed ourselves to be blinded by suspicion, and was Job Lord all he professed?

We knew from what the lieutenant at the battery had told us, that this man whom we claimed to be in league with the Britishers, had been of great service to the Cause, having sent much valuable information to our people and aided many a man who otherwise might have fallen into the clutches of the enemy. Could it be that all these things had been done as a blind, and we four the first who discovered his double dealings?

I looked around at my comrades and saw mingled doubt and fear written upon the faces of Archie and Harvey, showing that they also were beginning to question whether we had not made a grievous mistake. With Hiram, however, the matter was different. He had settled in his mind that Job Lord would work us harm as soon as it suited his purpose, and there was nothing the man might say which would convince him to the contrary.

"You talk well, Master Lord," he said, holding the coat ready to be thrust into the mouth of the villain if so be he attempted to make any outcry, "and I know full well that you could give proof of having served the Cause to a certain extent; but if you haven't worked greater advantage to the king, I'll agree to crawl on all fours so long a time as I may live."

"If I had counted on playing false, why were you allowed to remain here all this time, and why did I make you as comfortable as was in my power?" Master Lord asked, now beginning to understand that soft words would be of but little avail with one like Hiram.

"Those are questions which I cannot answer just now; but after we have put you in such plight that it will be no longer possible to make an outcry, I'm counting on doing what I may at finding out. It will go hard if there isn't something in the room above that will disprove your words."

For the first time since we had fallen upon him did I see the man wince, and on the instant all my fears that we might have made a grievous mistake were dispelled, for I knew as well as if he had told me in so many words, that evidence would be found against him if the house was searched.

"You've hit it right, Hiram!" I cried; "but don't spend too much time talking here, lest those who have visited him before should come again and discover that the trap-door is open."

"Run up the ladder, lad, and see to it that doors and windows are barred securely," he said quickly, and I obeyed feverishly, fearing lest before I could do as he desired those men who had quarreled with Master Lord might return.

In addition to the locks on the side and rear doors, were stout bars, and after having a.s.sured myself that the bolts were shot, I put the timbers securely in place; then examined carefully the fastenings of every shutter until having satisfied myself beyond peradventure that none could enter from the outside save by battering down the barriers.