Well, we chewed over this question as to whether it would not be cowardly to desert Hiram if he was taken, until a full two hours had pa.s.sed, when Archie very wisely said:

"If no move is to be made until nightfall, will some one tell me what prevents our breaking fast? My stomach cries out for food, and if peradventure all goes this night as we would have it, then is it necessary we put our bodies in fair condition, for there are many miles to be traveled before we again see the encampment at Cambridge."

Hiram immediately acted upon this suggestion, insisting that he was better fitted to play the part of cook than any other, and as he set about the task I saw Job Lord writhing in pain, which caused me to realize how much of bodily suffering must be his, therefore said to my comrades:

"Don't let it be thought that there is any softness in my heart for such as him; but it does not become us to cause another unnecessary suffering, therefore it is I propose we take the gag out of Master Lord's mouth for a time, since he must be in great pain."

"I never saw any good come of favoring a snake," Hiram grumbled; but yet he did not make any protest against my proposition, and I pulled the gag from the mouth of the man who had worked us so much injury, saying at the same time as I seated myself near the bed, holding the knife which had been taken from its sheath:

"You can well understand that we would not stick at doing you harm, and it may be our fingers itch to pay you for your treachery, therefore should any one approach this building and you attempt to make an outcry, I shall consider that I have done the Cause a service by taking your life."

It was nearly a minute before the man could speak, so cramped were his jaws, and then, with a look which had in it, if such a thing can be possible, a mingling of grat.i.tude and hatred, he said softly:

"I'm not such an idiot as to kick when I'm fairly downed; but you need fear no visitors before sunset."

"We'll keep our ears open for them just the same, seeing's how it don't stand to reason we can put overly much faith in your words," Hiram cried, and added to me, "Have your knife ready, lad, and don't hesitate to use it at the first show of a disturbance. He may speak you fairly now; but once there was a decent chance of taking your life without losing his, you'd be in the next world in a twinkling."

"All of which is true," Master Lord replied quietly, and I could not but give him credit for such show of courage under the circ.u.mstances. "If I held you at the same disadvantage, would you hesitate to strike on the first opportunity?"

"Faith, no," Hiram replied laughingly. "And now you are talking like a decent man, although far from being one. Once we get you in Cambridge, where there's no fear your friends may come, I shall breathe freely; but until then I'm watching every move you make."

"Surely you are not so foolish as to think you can take me to Cambridge?" the man cried quickly, and Hiram asked as he continued his task of cooking:

"Why not? We've got your pa.s.s, and I'm allowing that you and Seth Jepson can be counted as among our friends during such time as we are under the eyes of the lobster backs."

"That pa.s.s does not allow of your taking two prisoners out," Master Lord said with a snarl which was much like that of an angry cat's.

"Why not? If you were leading a party of friends, and had just made selection of one of the prisoners taken at Breed's hill, how would you account for him?"

Master Lord refused to answer, and I asked myself if Hiram could be so venturesome as to think it possible we might carry these two Tories out of the town. If so, then our wondrous fortune must have turned his head, for verily none but a madman would, after having gotten out of such a tangle as we had been in, take yet more desperate chances.

Now for the first time did Seth Jepson come out from the fever of terror which had a.s.sailed him since I thrust him into the tunnel, and began to plead most earnestly, like the coward that he was, for us to show him what he called mercy. Having heard our conversation with Master Lord, and understanding that we were in fair position to work our will, he realized, perhaps better than ever before, how wholly he was in our power.

Had the lad shown the slightest token of courage I might have had some sympathy for him, for surely it was hard to thus suddenly find himself at the mercy of those whom he had wronged, at the very moment he must have believed everything was going his way; but the fellow was such a veritable coward that even the softest-hearted could not feel aught save contempt for him.

He whined and whimpered, declaring it had never been in his mind to do us wrong, and swearing to that which we knew was absolutely false, until Hiram cried angrily:

"Put a stopper on that fellow's jaw! It makes me sick to hear his howling. I have some respect for a lad or man who can take as well as give; but when it comes to working all the harm he may, and then showing the white feather so completely, my patience is soon gone."

Seth shut his mouth like a clam. I believe the coward would have tried to stand on his head, had Hiram given any such command, so eager was he to show his willingness to obey, and I said to myself that of the two, Job Lord, who had meditated worse treachery against the Cause than Seth could ever have hoped to work, was the better.

In due time Hiram had as appetizing a meal as could be prepared from all the stores to be found in the building, for once he had set about the work of a cook he did not scruple at overhauling the provisions in the room above, finding there many a toothsome dainty which had been supplied this miserable double-faced spy by his British friends.

We ate heartily, and with greater relish than at any time since this venture in aid of Silas had been proposed, for now was the greater portion of the burden removed from our hearts, and we could see our way out, where before all had been darkness with a British prison at the end.

When the meal was ready I would have put the gag back into Job Lord's mouth; but before it was possible to do so he said with the air of one who speaks the truth:

"I'm not minded to take so much of punishment as that involves, if it can in any way be avoided, therefore it is I give you my solemn word not to raise my voice above a whisper from now till sunset."

I looked at Hiram to see what he thought of the proposition, for there was in my mind a suspicion that Master Lord might have some scheme in his head to do us harm; but our comrade said decidedly:

"As a rule I wouldn't take the word of such as he for the value of a b.u.t.ton; but since he knows full well that we could fall upon him before he had time to let out more than one yell, and also understands that that one yell would be his last, I'm thinking it is safe enough to let him have the use of his jaws."

Therefore it was that while we feasted Master Lord asked in what you might call a manly fashion, if, when the meal was come to an end, we would give him so much of food as might serve to satisfy his hunger, claiming that he had not broken fast that day.

"Neither have I," whined Seth, "and I'm nearly dead with having been mauled about so much."

"It wouldn't do a little bit of harm if you were wholly dead; but we're not counting on starving either of you, so depend upon it that your stomachs shall be filled, for when we once set out, having Silas Brownrigg in our company, you will be called on to step mighty lively."

I looked at Hiram questioningly, asking, so far as was possible with my eyes, whether he was wild enough to think of hampering us with these prisoners, and he nodded in a way to show that he was not minded to have any argument regarding it.

"Aye, lad, if I read your face aright, that's exactly what I do count on doing. There is no better place for hatching a scheme than over a cook-stove when you have plenty with which to work, as I had this afternoon, and I've got an idea that it won't be such a terrible hard matter to land these fellows in Cambridge. If so be everything goes to my liking, you will soon understand that it is as easy to take the prisoners, as to go alone."

I knew that Hiram did not care to discuss whatsoever plan he might have in mind while the prisoners might hear him, and therefore held my peace; but when we were done with feasting because it was impossible to eat any more, I beckoned him to follow me into the room above, where I asked what mad scheme he had hit upon.

"It may come to naught, lad, therefore we won't discuss it; but I'm going out around the town a bit, and you can bar the door after me. I'll knock twice on the window shutter when I come back."

"Going out in the daytime?" I cried sharply. "Show yourself in this town where you are like to be taken into custody? Don't, Hiram, don't take foolish risks now when, by being careful, we have plain sailing before us!"

"I'm not taking chances," he replied doggedly. "You must remember that my face is not known here as yours is, and with what I have in my pocket who will dare put aught of hindrance in my way?"

"The first officer you come across may know Job Lord well, and, finding you in possession of a doc.u.ment which belongs to him, will come here without delay."

"Since when have officers taken a hand in such matters, save after a man was already in the custody of the watch or the patrol?" Hiram asked scornfully. "You know, lad, that all I have to fear is the possibility of coming in contact with a squad of lobster backs in charge of a corporal or a sergeant, and if I can't shut their eyes it is high time I was taken to the Bridewell."

It was useless for me to argue against his purpose, whatever that might be, for the fellow was determined, and even though I had gone down on my knees to him he would have done that which he said.

He was not sparing of strength when he thrust me back from him as he began to unbar the door and I would have hindered him; but said as I staggered against the wall almost overthrown:

"Have no fear for me, lad. I know what I'm about, and take my word for it that I'm not running into the least little bit of danger. Listen for two raps on the shutter when I come back, which will be within an hour."

He was gone even as he spoke, and all I could do toward repairing what I believed to be serious mischief, was to lock and bar the door after him, saying to myself that if he failed to come back as he had promised, and aught suspicious was heard, I would insist that Archie and Harvey join me in flight, for then would Master Lord's house be the one place in Boston town where lurked the greatest danger for us.

"Where is Hiram?" Archie asked when I descended the ladder alone.

"Gone out of doors," was my sulky reply.

"Out of doors!" both lads cried as with one voice. "In the daytime?"

"Aye, that he has, and verily it seems as if good fortune has turned his head."

"If he depends upon that pa.s.s in my name as a safeguard while he wanders the streets, I'll answer for it the tables will be turned before you have time to choose among the prisoners at the Bridewell," Job Lord said vindictively, and his words were not needed to make my heart heavy, for already had I come to believe that after all the good work he had done, our imprisonment, perhaps our death, could be laid directly at his door.

CHAPTER XVII