The Minute Boys of Boston

"The skiffs belonging to our friends are hidden, for by General Gage's orders all craft that could be found have been taken possession of by the lobster backs. We might search a full day without coming upon any."

"Well, as I have said, the first thing is to get the lad out of prison. We'll trust to accident, chance, or whatever you choose to call it, for the balance."

By this time the rain drops were beginning to fall in token of the oncoming shower, and Hiram stretched out his hand to learn how heavy was the downpour, for, screened as we were by the building, one could hardly judge of what might be going on.

Then came a flash of lightning, followed by a peal of thunder so loud that we knew the heart of the storm was directly upon us, and clutching Harvey and me by the arms Hiram literally burst, as it were, from our hiding place, as he said:

"Now has come the time; work quickly; have your wits about you, and remember that to waste ten seconds may be the ruin of our plans."

There was little need for Hiram to thus incite us. I was strung up to the highest tension until it seemed as if all the nerves in my body had suddenly been laid bare, and a moment appeared like a half-hour, so keenly did I realize that the critical time had come.

When we went out into the street the rain was falling like unto a second deluge, and it seemed to me I had not taken a dozen steps before my clothing was soaked with water; but I heeded it not save as cooling application upon my fevered body.

Harvey led us around the prison until we were come to the window of that room where we believed Archie was still confined, and without waiting a single second – it seemed almost as if while continuing the advance – , Hiram thrust the end of his oaken stick between two center bars, standing there like a statue waiting for the next volley of thunder.

The second flash of lightning showed me this scene which is yet engraven on my memory as if painted upon canvas: Hiram holding one end of the heavy stick like a young giant; Harvey standing beside him looking up with expectancy written on his face, and I crouching near by ready to follow the slightest movement of our leader.

Then came the heavy, deafening roll of thunder. Even in the darkness I fancied I could see Hiram put all his weight and strength upon the oaken lever, and I believed that the bars gave way; but so heavy was the cannonading in the heavens that I could hear no sound, yet, as we learned an instant later, he had not only fetched away the iron screen, but crashed through the glass of the window.

Whether Archie had been aware that we stood there ready to make this supreme effort, I cannot say; but something must have warned him that the time for action had come, because the crash of thunder had not died away when I could see dimly his head and shoulders through the aperture.

Hiram must have instantly thrown aside the stout lever which had thus opened the way for Archie's liberty, because, moving with the quickness of thought, he leaped up as does a cat, seizing the lad by the shoulders and pulling him out into the street as if he had been no more than a bundle of rags.

During the merest fraction of time we stood silent and motionless, every nerve aquiver, listening with bated breath for that fatal token which would tell that the Britishers inside had been aroused, and then Hiram pushed me forward violently as he said in a hoarse whisper:

"Now then, lad, let your heels save your head, and make for Long wharf."

"But the Britishers!" I cried even as I obeyed his command.

"Let them go hang, so that we find a boat wheresoever it may be. Before this storm has come to an end we must be out of Boston town, or count on taking up our quarters in this same prison."

How we ran! Archie clasped my hand – there was no time for words – , and we two led the way at a swifter pace than I ever showed before, or ever expect to again; but even while putting forth every effort in the race was my heart grown sore with fear, for truly did it seem that Hiram had lost his wits to take such chances as would come if we tried to get from the Britishers themselves means for leaving the town.

"Better we had attempted to make our escape across the Neck," I said to myself, burning to speak my thoughts to him who had thus far led us safely, and yet not daring to slacken pace in order so to do. "There is one chance in an hundred that we might get past the guards during the tempest; but none whatsoever that we shall succeed in making our way by water, for before we can lay hands on a boat we shall be overpowered."

Luckily I did not dare slacken speed; fortunate was it indeed that Hiram had his way in the matter, and that he urged us on even while we were putting forth every effort. Had I been given command at that moment, then it is almost the same as certain we had been taken before another night came; but, thanks to the son of that good woman who fed us when we were hungry, the seemingly impossible was accomplished.

So rapid were our movements from the very beginning of the attempt at rescue, that the thunder tempest was hardly grown to its height before we gained the water front at Long wharf, and there to my amazement we met no one; indeed, we might almost have touched shoulders with a dozen and yet not been able to see them because of the darkness and the seemingly unbroken sheets of water which descended.

Now it was that Hiram took the lead, as if fearful lest our courage might fail us, and wading waist-deep into the water alongside the wharf, he came upon a small boat which was made fast stem and stern.

We followed close at his heels, not because of belittling the danger; but because there was no other course. The peril would have been greater had we attempted to beat a retreat, and since it seemed to me that capture was absolutely certain, we might as well go one way as another.

Hiram had not stopped to unmoor the boat; but taking from his pocket a knife, slashed here and there at the hawsers until she was adrift, and the wind, driving from the south in furious gusts, sent her whirling in the direction of Hudson's point as if impelled by a dozen pairs of oars.

It was only by the merest accident that we lads succeeded in getting aboard, for Hiram was like a fury unchained, giving no heed to anything whatsoever save that goal which he had set before him. I only know that Archie and I had been swept off our feet by the waves when the craft whirled past us, yet we contrived to clutch the gunwale and were dragged, as it seemed to me, an hundred yards before succeeding in clambering aboard.

Then it was my heart sank, for hurriedly looking around as best I could in the darkness I made out but three forms, and cried in my fear and agony:

"We have freed Archie only to leave Harvey to drown or be taken prisoner."

"Here, help me in!" came from the stern of the craft, and stepping quickly aft, hardly crediting the evidence of my ears, I felt two cold, wet hands that were gripping the stern-board.

Hiram gave no heed as Archie and I pulled the brave lad in; but was fumbling about in search of oars that it might be possible for him to guide the craft, and thus it was we were driven by the tempest from out the very midst of the Britishers where they must have been as thick as ants in a hill, although, fortunately for us, ill inclined to brave the fury of the blast in the open.

Every red-coated rascal on duty had sought some place of shelter, and Hiram must have counted upon this fact when he decided that we would despoil the enemy of at least one boat, at the same time taking chances which seemed little short of madness.

Hiram succeeded in finding that for which he sought, and when he was on the forward thwart with a pair of oars in his hands, pulling only when it was necessary to give her a sheer from the land, or toward it, he said in the tone of one who speaks in a place of security:

"I call that a mighty neat trick, and if so be you lads are lucky enough to turn the tables once more on the Britishers in the same clean fashion that we have done to-night, you can count yourselves on the way to earn commissions in the American Army."

"It is you who should have the commission, if this night's work counts in the eyes of our people," I cried, determined that the brave fellow should have all the credit due him. "Except you had forced us, we would never have made such a venture, for when we left the prison it seemed to me you were little better than a madman to make a try for that which has turned out so happily."

"There was little of madness in it, lad, when you count that we had everything our own way. The only surprising part would have been that we had come across a Britisher while the rain was pouring down as now. I haven't seen overly many of the king's men; but those I have come across took good care of their bodies, and hated like the mischief to do that which might mar the beauty of their flashy uniforms."

Then it was that Archie spoke for the first time since Hiram hauled him neck and crop out through the shattered window:

"If ever the time comes when I can repay you fellows for what you have done this night, I'll strive hard to make the reckoning even."

"You'll not do anything of the kind, lad, for we have done only our duty. I'm hoping every one of us would have worked just as eagerly had the prisoner been a stranger, for we who count on aiding the Cause must reckon everyone who loves it, as a friend."

It was Hiram who spoke, and his tone was so fervent, I might almost say devout, that I was moved by it more than by the dangers through which we had just passed, and came to understand better what it meant when we of the colonies armed ourselves against the king's men.

"I was expecting to see you because of what Harvey told me; but did not think for a minute you would dare make any effort to set me free," Archie said after a long pause, and Hiram added with a chuckle of mirth which I could hear even above the whistling of the wind and the swish of the waves:

"It must have surprised you when that 'ere glass was broken in; but I noticed it didn't take a great while to get your wits about you."

"I had been warned. Standing near by the window when the lightning flashed, I saw you, and knew what might be your purpose."

"'Tis a great night for business like this," and again Hiram chuckled as if the whole matter was a huge joke. "Here we are in one of his majesty's own boats, snug as bugs in a wet rug, and being carried faster than any ten-oared barge could move, we not raising a hand. Talk about getting out of Boston town! I can't say that it is any great trick, and we are going as comfortably as possible except, perhaps, that there's a little too much water about. If this 'ere thunder gust holds out ten minutes longer we should be well off the Penny ferry. It would give Silas a good shaking up if we got into camp before he did," and Hiram laughed long and loud, seeming to enjoy making a noise now that we were the same as free from pursuit.

Then it was that Harvey put me to shame by much the same as proving I had not head enough to hold command of the Minute Boys.

"I can see full well why Archie should go to Cambridge," he said, forced almost to scream in order to make his words heard above the noise of the tempest; "but what puzzles me is why Luke Wright and I are going? It appears as if we were advertising the fact that we had a hand in the lad's escape, whereas, by returning to our homes now, and showing ourselves to-morrow morning in the usual places, no suspicion would be aroused."

Hiram stared at the speaker as if in surprise during a dozen seconds, and then said emphatically:

"That's no mean head you've got on your shoulders, lad, and it mixes me up not a little because I was such a simple as not to have thought that for you and Luke Wright to disappear at the exact time Archie did, would be much the same as confessing that you had a hand in the neat little trick done at the Britishers' prison."

Now that Harvey had spoken, reminding me of my duty, I could understand full well how foolish we would be to remain with Hiram and Archie. We could gain nothing by going to Cambridge, because Silas was most like already on his way there carrying such information as had been gathered, and the dullest fellow that ever walked the streets of Boston town could not fail to realize how much of trouble we might be laying up for ourselves. Therefore it was that I asked quickly of Hiram whether or no he could work the boat so far in shore that we might land.

By this time we were well off Barton's point, having sailed around the easterly end of the town, and the tempest was yet as fierce as when we set off.

"Bless your soul, lad, I can put her almost anywhere on this 'ere shore, though I don't claim to be what you might call a sailor, nor even a good imitation of one: but it's a mighty poor stick that can't work a pair of oars."

As he spoke he swung the little craft around to the westward, thus bringing the full strength of the wind on the port side, which caused her to make more leeway than headway.

For some moments I was in doubt as to whether he might be able to work the trick; but he showed himself on this occasion, as he did many times in the days that came, a fellow bent upon accomplishing that which he set out to do, and I verily believe he would have run his neck close into a Britisher's noose rather than admit that this thing or the other was impossible for him.