"But what about these fellows?" I asked, pointing to Seth and the two men. "Are they to be left helpless and gagged?"

"There is no other way out of it, and I dare venture to say they would not have any heart-ache to leave us in even a worse plight."

"But the wretches will starve to death!" I cried in horror, and Hiram replied grimly:

"I would leave them to such a fate rather than miss taking Job Lord to those whom he has deceived so long; but there is little danger, though I won't say but they'll be mighty uncomfortable for a time. 'Twixt now and morning one or more of this scoundrel's friends will come to concoct yet further harm to the Cause, and, if we leave the door unlocked, they'll be released sooner than is deserved."

Archie would have lingered to make Seth a bit more comfortable by loosening the gag ever so little; but Hiram literally drove him toward the door as he cried in an angry tone, which I dare say was a.s.sumed to cover his nervousness:

"Look after yourself, lad, and give over being soft-hearted about such curs. We've got no easy job before us, and are needing every moment of time." Then to Master Lord he added, "If you are minded to make any noise as we walk through the streets, remember what I have threatened to do, and understand that it's my belief I'd be doing a good deed to put you out of the world!"

It seemed to me there was little need for such caution. The traitor was yet gagged, and strive as he might could not have done other than moan ever so softly.

We left the house which had been our prison, in haste, as if already the pursuers were at our heels, and when we stepped into the open air I recalled that which Hiram had said regarding the lobster back who was to aid us in embarking, therefore whispered to our leader as we went at a swift pace in the direction of the ship-yard:

"Is there not danger the Britisher who went with you to the Bridewell will come to understand that you have made a change of prisoners?"

"That is one of the chances we are taking, lad. I strove to keep him from having a fair look at Silas, and hope the effort was successful. If not, it will be a case of fighting another battle with all the odds against us, for the guard-house is so near at hand that we could not make much of a disturbance without being overheard by those on duty.

Push forward, and do not try to find fresh cause for fear, since we have all of danger before us that I care to think about."

Acting in accordance with Hiram's instructions, we lads pressed closely around Job Lord for the double purpose of hiding him from view as much as possible while at the same time we forced him to a rapid pace, and in silence, save for the heavy breathing of the prisoner caused by the gag, and the sound of our footsteps, we advanced unchallenged to where the skiff was found.

But for the fact that I believed death lurked very closely in our rear, I could have found something comical in the fact that we were being aided in our flight by one of the king's men, who believed he was having a finger in the pie to be baked for the "rebels," and even though I trembled with fear and anxiety, it was impossible to check a smile when I saw the thick-headed Britisher waiting patiently by the water's edge for us to come up.

In order that we might get away the more quickly, he had the skiff afloat, holding her by the painter, and as we approached Hiram thrust Job Lord on board in advance, following so closely as to screen him from view. If the lobster back had previously had any suspicions, he might have noted something strange in the manner of our cl.u.s.tering around the prisoner even after we had taken our places in the boat; but the dull fellow believed he was aiding in what would work injury to those whom he had come across the ocean to kill, and gave heed to nothing save his own part in the enterprise.

As I think of the matter now, it seems almost like a fairy tale, this story of being aided to escape by one of the king's men, with a squad of soldiers at the guard-house nearby ready to lend a hand in case we needed it; but such was the case, and had it not been so I believe of a verity we had never gone out of Boston town alive, for if the tables had been turned, Master Lord and his friends would have seen to it that we were hanged on one pretext or another.

Whatever the dangers we had encountered, or however narrow the escape, we were free at last, for even though one of the guard-boats overhauled us, the pa.s.s signed by General Gage himself would have been enough to insure safe conduct, and when the skiff had been pulled by Harvey and Silas so far from the sh.o.r.e that we could see behind us nothing save the lights that twinkled here and there, it was with difficulty I repressed a shout of triumph.

As it was I could not hold my peace; but, leaning toward Hiram as he sat by Master Lord's side in the stern-sheets, said gleefully:

"We have come out from among the Britishers without a scratch, and in addition to releasing one of our own who was in prison, are taking to Cambridge a spy who might have worked the Cause fatal harm, therefore who shall say that the Minute Boys, if so be you still count yourself one, have not shown themselves able to do the work of men?"

"I sure do count myself one of the Minute Boys, lad, and shall do so till our little muss with the king has come to an end, leaving us colonists on the top of the heap. But say, Luke Wright, this last trick over which we have the right to do a good bit of crowing, has been a close shave. Unless everything had worked according to our desires, we would have been undone, and I'm thinking the shadow of the gallows was dark over us in that hour when I set off for the Bridewell."

"Tell me what happened there?"

"It isn't much of a story, for the plan worked as if it had been greased, though I'm free to confess that I had but little hope of pulling through when I left you. My heart was thumping fit to burst when I called for the officer on duty, holding my head high as if General Gage had been my brother. The lieutenant who gave me a hearing was by no means the dullard you might have expected him to be, and eyed me in a way that wasn't comforting. Of course I had to explain that Master Lord wasn't quite in condition to venture out, and that I was helping him in setting a trap for the rebels. While you might have counted twenty I felt certain he was minded to send to headquarters to learn if the order was all right, and I made bold to urge that a delay of half an hour would set all our plans awry, which you'll agree was nothing more than solemn truth."

"Then he allowed you to take Silas?" I asked eagerly.

"Yes, after considerable humming and hawing; but I'm of the belief that if the lobster back hadn't been with me it would have been a different matter. The lieutenant couldn't fail of being impressed by the fact that I had come with one of his own kidney as escort, and from this out I shall have a kindly feeling for a red coat, even though I fail to love the one that wears it."

"And now we'll give the officer at the battery the surprise of his life, when we show him Job Lord as prisoner after he sent us to him with such recommendations as to his loyalty," I cried with a laugh, whereupon Hiram replied gravely:

"If I have my way, we'll give the battery a wide berth, lad, and for two reasons. The first is that I'm not minded to be delayed on the journey to Cambridge, and who can say that the lieutenant wouldn't insist on taking charge of our prisoner, which would be depriving us of the credit we deserve. The second reason is more serious. Because the officer at the battery vouched so strongly for Job Lord, it is barely possible that he may be as great a traitor as our captive, and I'll give him no chance to set his partner free."

"Of course you'll have your way, so far as leading us lads is concerned," I said quickly. "Surely you have earned the right an hundred times over, even though we were disposed to contest it, which we are not. How do you count on getting to Cambridge?"

"We'll pull up the creek as far as is possible to take the skiff, giving our battery as wide a berth as we give those fortifications manned by the Britishers, and, once forced to abandon the craft, set off on the highway, stopping for nothing this side of Cambridge, for the sooner Job Lord's treachery is made known to our people there, the more easy in mind I'll be concerning his being held securely."

And now because of the fact that within the past hour it has been whispered around the encampment that we of the American army are about to strike another blow against the Britishers, and preparations are being made for the march, I must bring this poor yarn of mine to a speedy close lest I find myself unable to finish it.

As Hiram had said so we did, and before another day was come we were in the American encampment, telling to General Ward all we had learned.

There is little need to say that Job Lord was cared for securely, and Hiram believes that after this movement which seems to be on foot, has been made, the double-faced villain will be hanged for his crimes, more especially since it is now known how much of harm he succeeded in working to the Cause while professing to be devoted to it.

Our people have learned to a certainty that this same Master Lord had been paid regularly by General Gage for his services as traitor; but we can only guess as to why he wanted to hold us prisoners in his house, and at the same time get possession of Silas, for it seems positive the lad was the prisoner whom he counted on taking when he presented the order which Hiram used to such good effect.

My father believes it was Job Lord's aim to hold us lads as a bait to entice some of our prominent people into making a try at succoring us, and thus succeed in delivering to General Gage one or more of the American officers. Hiram declares that if we had made thorough search of the villain's house, it is likely we might have found that which would give us a clue to the whole plot as he had schemed it.

I am of the mind that we remained in the building on Cow lane quite as long as was safe, and it makes little difference what he counted on doing, since we blocked his game and at the same time brought him to grief.

Archie is confident that the day must come when, by getting hold of Seth Jepson once more, as all of us lads believe will be our good fortune, we shall be able to learn no little of Master Lord's villainy which as yet is a secret between himself and his Tory cronies. It is certain that if we ever get the treacherous little traitor in our hands again, he can be made to turn himself inside out, because of being so cowardly that in order to save himself from punishment he will not hesitate to betray his friends.

When we have discovered what Job Lord would have done with us had his career not been cut so short, then shall we most likely learn the cause of what was much the same as a fight between himself and his visitors when we were prisoners in the cellar; but I have very little curiosity regarding this last matter, now that we have come to be members of the army, holding as honorable a position as if we were men grown.

Yes, after the venture into Boston town, and the taking of Job Lord as prisoner, it was allowed that we had the right to be regularly enrolled, and to-day, when we are making ready to give the king another slap in the face, there is no company of soldiers in the encampment who are seemingly held in higher esteem by our commanders, than the Minute Boys of Boston.

THE END