The Boy Spies with the Regulators

"It is William Butler, one of the Regulators!" Master Hamilton shouted for the benefit of those who might not have recognized my father. "Let him come out!"

Our commander advanced to my father's side, and the two held long converse, after which both came forward toward our troop.

Then appeared once more at the window, Master Edwards, who cried out:

"Will you allow that I hold a conference with you in private?"

"Meaning in your own name, or that of the governor?" Master Hamilton asked sharply.

"I would bring to you a message from his excellency."

"You may come," our commander said after whispering with my father; "but I shall repeat at my pleasure, to these gentlemen, all which you may say."

Again the secretary disappeared, to show himself at the door a moment later, and General Hamilton remained motionless, forcing Master Edwards to approach him.

The two gentlemen saluted, exchanged a few words, and then half a dozen of our leaders were summoned to what appeared to be a council of war participated in by representatives of both armies.

Much time was spent by these gentlemen in consultation; but, finally, it appeared as if some plan had been arranged to the satisfaction of all. Master Edwards returned to the court-house; our leaders fell back into line, where we remained half an hour or more wondering what was to be the upshot of the matter, when suddenly Masters James and William Hunter, and three other citizens who had been held prisoners, came out of the door.

While one might have counted five we were held speechless with astonishment, and then our people began to cheer, for it seemed at the moment as if we had in fact beaten the governor in a game of his own making.

Before the shouts died away the command was given for the sentinels to come in; the troop was formed in fours, and we rode away, heading for the encampment on the hill.

Our leaders were grave, probably because they alone knew at what price this temporary triumph had been purchased; but the remainder of the party were wild with joy, for we imagined ourselves victors.

Before fording the river we were joined by nearly an hundred mounted men who had obeyed Master Hamilton's instructions to take their families home and return armed, and throughout the night we received accessions to our force until the Regulators were more than a thousand strong.

It can well be supposed that all the company were burning with curiosity to learn more concerning the bargain which had resulted in the release of the prisoners; but our commander gave no sign of being in haste to explain matters.

"The Regulation will meet to-night, and the whole matter shall be laid before it," he said gravely when Master Howell, bolder than the others, ventured to ask for particulars.

Sidney and I, when we were occupying our old lean-to once more, speculated earnestly as to what the people had, through Master Hamilton, promised as the price of the prisoners' release; but we had made little headway when Master James Hunter, the deputy, approached our shelter on his way across the encampment.

After our experience in his company he seemed rather like a comrade than a mere acquaintance, and Sidney did not hesitate about asking the questions we were so eager to have answered.

"As yet we have really made no bargain, lads," Master Hunter said as he seated himself in a friendly way near us. "The governor promised, for the sole purpose of averting bloodshed, so he declared, to release those of us who were sentenced to imprisonment and fine, in consideration of the Regulators returning to camp, and keeping with them such as might arrive bent on rebellious acts, until to-morrow morning. Then, so the secretary stated, some proposal looking to peace will be made."

"It seems much as if Tryon was backing down from the high horse he has been riding in the Carolinas," Sidney said with a laugh.

"He had no choice in this case," Master Hunter replied. "The Regulators held him like a rat in a trap, and if a battle had ensued his own precious body would have been endangered. My only fear is that he counts, by such delay, on getting the best of us in some way."

"We shall be stronger to-morrow morning than we are now," I ventured to suggest. "The people are coming in rapidly, and soon we shall outnumber his force five to one."

"All of which is very true, and because he must have understood that such would be the case, I am the more suspicious of his honesty in this matter."

Then it was I dared ask Master Hunter to tell us all that had occurred in the court-house, and he began by saying:

"There is very little to the story, lad, for unless I'm much mistaken, Tryon, Edwards and Fanning had the program arranged last night. When I entered the room the sheriff made me prisoner without so much as producing a warrant. Not until late in the forenoon were the others brought in, and then the story of our misdeeds was quickly told by men like Sandy Wells. Our defense was cut down in every way; we were not allowed to call our witnesses, and checked when we would have argued our case. There was no verdict given when the trial closed. The case of Fanning was called, and of all the witnesses we had brought, only two were allowed to give in their testimony. Fanning argued that he was forced to charge extortionate fees in order to gain a livelihood; that it was generally understood court officers should demand sufficient to provide them with a fair salary, and then pleaded guilty as to the indictments so far as the facts were concerned, but insisted he was innocent according to the spirit of the law."

"I suppose he was allowed ample time in which to argue his case," Sidney interrupted.

"As to that you may be certain; it was only the witnesses appearing against him who were admonished not to waste the court's time. Then we were sentenced, and after ten minutes or more the judges had agreed that Fanning should pay seven pence for the crime of extorting hundreds of pounds from the poor. We would have been sent into the prison at once but for the fact of your arrival. It could readily be seen that Tryon was really alarmed by the cries of those outside, and when the Regulators arrived he went into the next room with the judges, Fanning and Edwards. The rest you know as well as I. We who sat in the dock were ordered to follow the secretary, and, to our great surprise, were set free."

"Then we are to remain here quietly until tomorrow morning?" Sidney asked.

"That is the proposition."

"And what will the governor be doing meanwhile?"

"I cannot say. It is possible he has troops on the way from Brunswick or Newberne, as Master Husband suggests; but I am not of the same opinion. He would most certainly have brought to Hillsborough all the force that could be raised, before the trial began, for it must be humiliating to be obliged to make any terms with us."

"He counts on some treachery I'll be bound!" Sidney exclaimed, and Master Hunter said with a sigh:

"I have the same fear, lad. To release us after we had been sentenced was a harder task for him than if he had set Husband and my brother free last week. We shall find that he can play double, while our people hold so strictly to the truth that they are not willing to believe a lickspittle like the governor would stoop to tell a deliberate lie."

Having said this Master Hunter went on his way, and we lads could do no more than speculate upon the probability of our having put Tryon in such a trap that he would be forced to deal honestly with us.

Late that evening, when there were not less than one hundred armed men in the encampment, the Regulation was called to order, and Master Hamilton opened the meeting by telling the same story we two lads had previously heard from Master Hunter. He concluded by saying:

"Believing that humanity demanded us to avert bloodshed at any price short of honor, the officers of the Regulation decided on a truce of twenty hours in consideration of the freedom of the prisoners. We ask you to hold the promise we made as if each of you had personally given his word to it. To-morrow we shall have another proposition from the governor, and then will be the time when we must decide as to our future course."

Many gentlemen spoke on the same subject, all agreeing that we could do no less than adhere strictly to the promise our commander had given, and then the meeting was dissolved.

Having had no sleep on the previous night, I was right glad to crawl into the bed of pine branches which Sidney and I called our own, and not until the sun showed his face next morning did I awaken.

Because a truce had been declared, there was no need of standing guard, and all our company enjoyed a full night's rest.

As soon as breakfast had been eaten we lounged around the camp, remaining where we could overlook the town, and waited for some word from the governor, speculating meanwhile as to what proposition it might please him to make.

Noon came, and no messenger appeared.

At one o'clock my father was sent across the river to learn why we had not heard from Tryon, and he returned with a reply that we "would be well satisfied in a few hours."

This message was given by a servant at the governor's headquarters; my father had seen neither the governor, his secretary, nor Fanning.

There was no little grumbling because we were thus kept waiting when the truce was for twenty hours only; but never a man dreamed of breaking his word. Such perfidy as that was left for his excellency, William Tryon, he who claimed to be the king's honorable representative.

My mother had gone home; she went away the afternoon previous when the women and children were asked to leave the vicinity, and as we waited for that message which was so long delayed, I was truly thankful she had not remained, for it came into my mind that there would be a troublous, rather than a peaceful, ending.

The sun was no more than half an hour high in the heavens when we saw one who appeared to be a servant, come out of the governor's house and walk swiftly toward the ford.

It did not seem possible Tryon would send other than one of his officers on a mission to the Regulation, and yet I believed that now was come the time when we were to hear from his excellency.

The man halted at the opposite bank of the river, unfolded a huge document, and began reading that which told us to what a depth of infamy William Tryon was willing to descend in order to carry his point.

CHAPTER XII

THE PROCLAMATION