The Minute Boys of Boston

It is not to be supposed that we could go from my home to Barton's point through the streets without coming upon some of the lobster backs, for since the town was put under martial law the watch had been replaced by soldiers, and there were so many of them patrolling the streets 'twixt sunset and sunrise that one could hardly poke his nose outside the door without brushing it against half a dozen.

We were not delayed in the short journey, however, because of my familiarity with the gardens and byways on the route, which admitted of our making fair progress while shunning the streets, and he who could have pounced upon us would indeed have been a quicker-witted lobster back than I have yet seen.

When we arrived at the rope walk we found some of the lads overly impatient, as indeed they had good cause to be, for those whom I warned earlier in the day had gone immediately to the rendezvous, therefore were forced to cool their heels there from six to eight hours, which must have seemed a long time when you realize that they were literally burning with impatience to play the part of soldiers, and I could not but ask myself with somewhat of anxiety, how they might view the situation when coming to understand that they were to be employed as drovers, or in carrying bags of grain from the shore to the vessels?

"Are they all here?" Hiram asked me when standing beneath the shelter of a lean-to which served as store-house, as he surveyed my company.

"Ay, every one of them," I replied carelessly, believing it was possible to see them all, and as I spoke Harvey Pearson piped up in his shrill voice:

"All save Seth Jepson. An hour ago he suddenly remembered that he must attend to some work which his mother had laid out for him, and went off at full speed, promising to come back before you showed yourselves."

"So! He's the lad you believed might have a leaning toward Toryism," Hiram said sharply as he wheeled about to face me, and on the instant I understood that he doubted the truth of Seth Jepson's excuse for leaving the company.

"How long did he stay here?" I asked of Harvey, whom I knew to have been one of the first to arrive at the rendezvous.

"Perhaps a couple of hours. I did not take much heed of the time because we were all speculating as to what duty might be required of us, and therefore the minutes passed swiftly."

"Are all the others here?" and Hiram turned once more to me.

In order to be certain this time I called the names of each lad in turn, and, counting them, found we had thirteen present, which, with Archie and Silas, whom Hiram said were on board one of the sloops, made up our full number.

It could readily be seen that Griffin was sorely disturbed in mind because of Seth's absence, and his uneasiness was speedily shared by Harvey and me as we put our heads together, trying to make out how the lad might do us harm.

Once more I came to believe him an arrant Tory who had joined the company only that he might betray it. This was the first opportunity he had had to play the traitor, and it seemed of a verity he counted to take advantage of it, understanding that now was come the time when the king's men might find us in unlawful assemblage with a member of the American army in our midst.

"He had no chance to betray us before, and has therefore acted as if his desires and ours run in the same channel," I said bitterly to Harvey, striving in vain to hit upon some plan by which we could thwart Seth's purpose. "Now has come the time when he may lay us all by the heels, and he intends to do it as surely as you and I stand here."

"Ay, so it appears to me," Harvey replied. "It is not reasonable to suppose the fellow would have left home knowing he was like to be gone several days, without first having made everything ready for his absence. Thus suddenly remembering something his mother told him to do, is a childish excuse, and shows that he thinks we are a party of idiots to take any stock in him."

"How long think you would it take a lad to go from here to the governor's house, have speech with him, and come back?" Hiram asked, and I knew full well he was trying to figure how many moments of freedom were left to us.

Harvey declared it might be done in less than two hours; but I was of the mind that much more time would be required, because even a Tory lad would not speedily be admitted into the presence of his high-mightiness, Governor Gage. Then there were the chances that this governor sent by the king might not be at home, or, receiving Seth at once, some little time would be required to muster a squad of soldiers, for it was likely that if they counted on taking into custody thirteen lads and a man a considerable show of force would be made. Therefore it was I set it down as three hours before we had good right to expect any result from Seth's sudden remembrance of his mother's desires.

"We'll make it two hours and run no risk," Hiram said after a moment's thought, and fell to pacing to and fro as if struggling to solve some question which he found difficult of answer.

Little was said by us lads as we stood there beneath the shelter of the lean-to. Each realized that in a short time he might be a prisoner, and all knew, or believed they knew, that there was much trouble in store for us through Seth Jepson.

During an hour I believe the only words I heard spoken were concerning what this lad or that would do to the traitor when the opportunity came, until tiring of hearing such idle words I said to Harvey impatiently:

"It is of little use for us who are in the frying pan to talk about throwing another into the fire. Instead of striving to decide how you may serve out Seth Jepson, when it is likely he will get the first blow at us, spend your time hunting for a means of escape, if so be the lobster backs come upon us."

"There is nothing to be done in that line," one of the lads said bitterly, "unless perchance we turn tail now and go to our homes. Then would Seth Jepson be in a pretty muddle because of having led the lobster backs here on what appeared as a false scent."

This idea caught the fancy of many. By our dispersing instantly Seth would seemingly show himself a lad ready to make mischief among the king's people. It would be a mighty neat way of turning the tables on the traitor, and right thoroughly would I have loved to do it but for the fact that we would be abandoning Hiram.

Before many minutes had passed I came to understand that there was certain danger of our failing in this the first real work which had been given us to do, for as the lads discussed the matter they became more and more impressed with the idea of hoodwinking the traitorous Tory and the lobster backs at the same time. They began to believe it would be of more importance thus to prove Seth a liar, than to join in the business on which Hiram was engaged.

It required all the arguments I could bring to mind, to hold them there in a body, and so insistent on carrying out their plan did some of them become, that I was forced to call on Hiram, who speedily put an end to their insubordination by saying in a scornful tone:

"A fine set of lads are you to call yourselves Minute Boys, who haven't learned that a soldier's first and last duty is to obey! Because of seeing some chance to play a trick on a scurvy Tory, you would straightway throw all orders to the wind, leaving me to return to Cambridge to make report that the Minute Boys of Boston refuse to follow where duty calls. Do you not realize that if Seth Jepson brought the lobster backs here, and failed to find you, he would give to whatsoever officer accompanied him the name of each and every one, to the end that 'twixt now and morning you might be ferreted out and lodged in prison? There's like to be two ends to such a trick as you would play, and I'm thinking he would come out best in the end."

"But by staying we are like to be taken into custody, if so be your vessels or boats fail to come on time," one of the company suggested, and Hiram replied in ringing words:

"Ay, and then would you have no reason for shame, since to be captured while performing a duty is often the fate of a soldier, and does not work to his discredit; but suppose you refuse to obey the orders which I have brought, and then are taken, like rats in their nests, false to the Cause, false to your friends, and false to yourselves? How about it then?"

It was as if he had lashed them with a whip. The lads shrank back into the further corner of the lean-to as if unable to stand against his anger and scorn, and I noted well that those who talked the loudest of the pleasure of playing the trick on Seth, were showing the greatest fear of Hiram.

It was all very well, however, to speak of doing our duty; but not so pleasant to remain there with no means of escape, knowing beyond a peradventure that within a couple of hours at the longest the lobster backs would be upon us. While there was no thought in my mind of sneaking away, I was frightened by the prospect before me, and all the more so because Hiram appeared so disturbed. He went from the building to the edge of the water twenty times in as many minutes, striving to pierce the gloom with his eyes, hoping to see the boats which, according to his arrangements, should have been there before then.

Finally, when he had remained on the shore gazing seaward longer than usual, I went to him and asked in a whisper:

"Is there any chance they may have mistaken your plans, and will fail to come to-night?"

"None whatever, lad, unless some accident has befallen them, for everything was mapped out as plainly as could be done by words. It was on Hog island we were to do our first work; one of the sloops was to go there, while the other, towing all our small boats, should have been off this point an hour ago."

"What is to be done?" I asked helplessly.

"Nothing save stand here and take our medicine like men. We won't give over hope until the last minute, for even when the red-coats are in sight, there may be a chance for us to slip off in the darkness if so be the boats are at hand."

Then came a weary time of waiting which seemed long because of our anxiety. I could well fancy there was in the mind of every lad, as in mine, a picture of the prison into which we would speedily be thrust, and thus an end be put to all our dreams of glory that was to come while working for the Cause.

As the minutes passed and we failed to hear any sound from out over the waters betokening the coming of those who were to meet us, it was only with difficulty I refrained from crying aloud in my impatience and fear, and when one of the boys moved suddenly, breaking the silence, I started in alarm, believing the lobster backs were close at hand.

When two full hours had passed, and we knew beyond a peradventure that Seth had played the traitor, it seemed as if our time of trial was close at hand. Hiram paced to and fro along the shore, ceasing either to return to the building, or make reply when I attempted to speak with him. All his mind was fixed upon that vague space in the darkness from out of which he was striving to see that which we so sorely needed, and then when it did come he was like unto one who has received a cruel blow. Staggering as if drunken, he said hoarsely to me who chanced to be standing by his side:

"They are coming, and just in time to save our necks, for I question whether the red-coats would give us much more of a breathing spell!"

The lads who had been crouching in the lean-to, most like trembling with fear, now rushed out to where Hiram and I stood knee-deep in the water as if the enemy was so near that a few more inches of distance might save us, and there we remained, alternatingly turning landward expecting to hear the tread of armed men, and straining our eyes into the gloom to see more clearly the approaching boats.

The first craft which came ashore brought Archie Hemming, and no sooner did her bow grate upon the shingle than he leaped over, clasping me in his arms as if I had only recently escaped from the grave, but to my mind there was no time to indulge in any show of affection, and almost thrusting him from me, I whispered:

"It is plain Seth Jepson has played the traitor, by going after the lobster backs to take us into custody while we remain here. There is no time to be lost; we must embark on the instant."

There was little need for me to urge that the moments were precious.

As three boats, one after another, came up to the shore, our company of Minute Boys leaped into them until each had its full cargo, and I believe not more than four minutes passed from the time Archie had clasped me in his arms before we pushed off and were heading out into the darkness toward where the sloop lay.

And we had left that shore none too soon, for our little fleet could hardly have been swallowed up by the gloom before we heard the tramp of men, and a few seconds later came the sound of angry voices, telling of the Britishers' disappointment in failing to trap us.

We had turned a neater trick on Seth Jepson than would have been possible had we gone back to our homes when the matter was first suggested, for now he might indeed give our names to the king's officers; but they would fail to find us in Boston town, and who could say when we had left?

CHAPTER VIII

HOG ISLAND

We were safe on board the sloop, which lay about half a mile from the shore, and once there I ceased to speculate overmuch as to what might be the result of Seth Jepson's treachery. That he had proven himself a traitor there was no longer the slightest chance for doubt, and I was resolved that if my life was spared the day should come when he would pay a heavy penalty for his dastardly crime.

Now, however, he had no part in our lives, nor would it be in his power to work us a wrong unless we might make an attempt to enter Boston town while the Britishers held possession.