"Ay, ay," he said in a tone of recognition. "So it's you, once more, is it, Pennington?"

"Once more, Mr. Halsey," returned the spy.

"Quite a boatload, I see," and the man flashed his lantern aloft.

"Yes, some gentlemen who wish to enter the town."

"It's the only place for honest men," grumbled the sailor. "But I must say there is a great shortage of fresh provision there. My men will all be down with the scurvy if they don't get a change soon."

The seaman was still speaking when the skiff pulled out of hearing.

Three times they were halted before they reached a point on the Boston side just above Gree's shipyard. A heavy battery was planted here that commanded Charlestown, and they were brought under this in charge of a yawl filled with men and in command of a young officer of marines, who showed dapper and spick and span under the lantern light.

When they were landed, a file of men took them in charge until Pennington, after some whispered conversation, was pa.s.sed by the officer in charge.

"A right soldierly way of looking at the matter," observed Scarlett, who had been keenly watching all that occurred.

"General Gage is a most excellent soldier," spoke Pennington. "None of the rebel troops shall get in while he is in command, nor," and there was a sneer in his tone, "none of his own troops shall get out."

As they pa.s.sed through Prince's Street they heard the steady tramp of troops on their way to the southerly part of the city. When beyond the Mill Pond, a roar of hoofs met them as squadron after squadron of cavalry dashed by headed in the same direction. At Middle Street they encountered a battery of field-guns also hastening southward.

"Something is toward, to-night," said Scarlett with great interest.

"It may be that they are on their way to the Neck," was Ezra's thought.

And a shiver ran through him as he fancied the colonists not being ready to meet the attack.

When they pa.s.sed the gardens they came to Sun Court; and as they paused before a stately mansion, Ezra said:

"But why here? Surely my grandfather has nothing to do with this business."

Pennington laughed.

"Don't be too sure of that. He is a man much desirous of the government's advancement, and he does not hesitate to use whatever means he can to serve that purpose."

The speaker ascended the steps and gave a sharp rat-tat-tat upon the heavy knocker; then he turned and looked down at the boy, who remained upon the brick walk.

"Another thing," said he. "You will find him a man not easily satisfied."

"I know that," replied Ezra.

"Your explanation as to how you came to part with Abdallah's dispatch will have to be very much more complete than the one you gave me," said Pennington, rubbing his hands together in a satisfied way. "He will not tolerate evasion of any sort, especially in the presence of those whom he is entertaining to-night."

"He has guests, then?" said the boy.

Before Pennington could reply, the door opened. A grave servant stepped aside in the brightly-lighted hallway, and they entered. And as the door closed behind them, from a room to the left of a hall came a great voice roaring:

"I tell you, General Gage, I did all that a soldier and a gentleman could well do. If the messenger proved a knave and a traitor, the blame is not to be laid at my door."

Pennington's hand fell lightly upon Ezra's shoulder, and he said sneeringly in the boy's ear:

"Here is good fortune. I knew of Gage, but I did not even dream of your acquaintance Major Buckstone being here."

CHAPTER X

TELLS HOW ILL NEWS CAME TO GENERAL GAGE

For a moment, after hearing the thunderous voice of Major Buckstone, Ezra Prentiss was startled. But an instant's reflection showed him that the major's presence could make no difference to him or his plans.

"He knows nothing of me that is not already known," the lad told himself.

The grave-faced man servant who had admitted them now spoke, in a low-voiced aside, to Ezra.

"I am glad to see you back, sir. We've had all sorts of fears for you.

The master thought you might have been killed, even."

Ezra smiled.

"But you see that I am not," said he, understanding at once that he was again mistaken for George.

"Yes, sir." The man looked at him in a fidgety sort of way. He seemed to dread something. "The master, sir," he recommenced, "is-is-you'll pardon me, sir-in a bad temper to-night. Shall I announce you?"

But here Pennington intruded himself.

"If I may be so pushing," said he to Ezra, "I will take that upon myself. There are some trifles that had perhaps better be gone over before he sees you."

Ezra caught Scarlett's warning look, but paid no attention. He knew full well that it was the spy's intention to be forehanded with him; he realized that the man desired to place the case before the gathering in his grandfather's house in as evil a light as possible.

But he was careless in the matter; he felt that it made no difference what Pennington said. He was in Boston; he was in a fair way, perhaps, of discovering much that would be of help to the cause of liberty. How he was to escape, finally, was a matter for the future. The present was to be spent in garnering facts; the future must take care of itself.

"Very well," said Ezra, readily enough. "Do you speak to him and prepare him."

Pennington followed the serving man up the wide hall; some hangings were drawn back and both disappeared.

"More and more strange do you grow to me," said Scarlett, as he seated himself in a cushioned chair. "I thought you wise enough to know that a first voice in a cause is usually the winning one."

"When one has little interest in a thing," returned Ezra, "it matters little who wins. My purpose here is not to see who makes the best impression on my grandfather and his friends."

Scarlett said nothing to this, but merely shook his head and began to look about him.

The hall was a lofty one with a polished floor and a broad bal.u.s.traded staircase. Paintings hung upon the walls and rich Eastern hangings screened the doorways. There was a ma.s.siveness about everything that indicated opulence in the owner.

"Your grandfather," said the soldier, "is evidently a person of some consequence."

"He is engaged in the West Indian trade," answered Ezra, "and is accounted a very rich man."

"I see." The soldier of fortune twisted one end of his moustache. "This war, however, will put a check to his money-making for a time, I think."