The Minute Boys of Boston

While doing so, naturally my gaze was fixed upon the face of this man whom we knew to be an enemy while he professed to be a friend, and I saw an expression of surprise suddenly come over it as his eyes were fixed upon the screen to the tunnel.

"Been playing house-wife by setting things to rights?" he asked in an odd tone, as he rose to his feet and started with an assumption of carelessness toward the casks.

My heart leaped into my mouth fit to choke me. The moment had come when everything which we had done would be discovered, for he could not fail to see Seth if he stepped behind the screen, or of knowing what we had done when he looked at the contents of the casks.

It was my place, because of what we had agreed, to have leaped upon him on the instant, trusting that the others would follow my example, and yet so stupefied was I, whether through fear, or astonishment because the secret could not have been kept longer, that there was no movement on my part until Hiram Griffin, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, bounded forward like a cat, alighting on the shoulders of our treacherous host and bearing him, as a matter of course, to the floor.

Job Lord was possessed of greater strength than one might have fancied from his build, and although all three of us lads sprang on the instant to Hiram's aid, for I recovered from my stupefaction as quickly as I had fallen into it, he succeeded in turning Griffin completely over, gaining a hold upon his throat in such manner as threatened to put a speedy end to the struggling.

Hiram was not one who would lose his head at such a time, and straightway the two floundered about, first one on top and then the other, to such an extent that we who were anxiously striving for an opportunity to take part in the fight failed of so doing. Meanwhile Hiram's eyes were protruding as had Seth's, until I believed he would be strangled to death before we could get a hold of the traitor.

Finally, and after what seemed to me a full ten minutes, I contrived to seize Job Lord by the arm, and as I pulled at the limb Archie was able to get a hold on his throat, thus, as can well be imagined, bringing the fight to an end.

We lads had not done our part any too soon, for by the time Master Lord was forced to let go his grip, Hiram appeared to be nigh unto death, and indeed such a sorry spectacle did he present that I would have let go my hold of Job Lord in order to give him to drink, but that he cried hoarsely, divining what was in my mind:

"Keep him fast, lad, keep him fast! I'll get my breath in a second," and then he struggled to his feet.

During all this time we had been fighting in silence, no one venturing to raise his voice; but now when he saw himself helpless and at our mercy Job Lord let out such a yell as might have been heard a full quarter-mile away, while from behind the casks Seth set up a whimpering cry, which was caused by fear rather than any desire to raise an alarm.

Even though we were in the cellar with a heavy flooring of planks above us, there could be no question but that Job Lord would succeed in alarming some of the neighbors unless his wind was shut off, and I saw Archie dig his fingers into the fellow's throat with a grip that must have caused intense pain, but yet I am bound to give the traitor credit for struggling to raise his voice again.

By this time Hiram had so far recovered as to take up the coat which had been used for the head of the dummy, and thrown on the floor when it was no longer of service, saying as he came forward:

"Let him open his mouth once more and I'll shove a clapper in that will put an end to any such noise."

Until now Job Lord's face, what with the choking and with anger, had been darkened, so to speak; there had been on it an expression of intense hatred, and a desire to do bodily harm, but when Hiram came up with that which would serve as a gag, he grew pale, while his lips quivered as if suddenly and for the first time realizing how completely he was in our power.

"I'm no such fool as not to know when I am whipped," and I am willing to give him credit for speaking firmly, even though he must have believed his very life was trembling in the balance. "There is no need to gag me, because I promise to hold my peace."

"Meaning that you will do so until some one knocks at the outer door, and then we shall hear from you again," Hiram cried hoarsely.

"I'm not ready to say I wouldn't take advantage of any chance to call for help; but just now I'd give a lot to know how it was you imposed upon our friends to such an extent that they were willing to send you hither?"

I looked at the man in amazement, wondering what he meant, when Hiram cried in a voice thick with anger:

"Do you mean to keep up the pretense that you are serving the Cause rather than the king?"

"There are people in plenty, both at Cambridge and in this town, who have had so much information and assistance from me that they can swear with all truth that there is none more devoted to the Cause than I."

CHAPTER XVI

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

Even though I believed we had good proof that Master Lord was playing a double game, his assertion of loyalty to the Cause, made so earnestly and with such seeming good faith, staggered me.

Was it possible, I asked myself, that we were mistaken? Had we allowed ourselves to be blinded by suspicion, and was Job Lord all he professed?

We knew from what the lieutenant at the battery had told us, that this man whom we claimed to be in league with the Britishers, had been of great service to the Cause, having sent much valuable information to our people and aided many a man who otherwise might have fallen into the clutches of the enemy. Could it be that all these things had been done as a blind, and we four the first who discovered his double dealings?

I looked around at my comrades and saw mingled doubt and fear written upon the faces of Archie and Harvey, showing that they also were beginning to question whether we had not made a grievous mistake. With Hiram, however, the matter was different. He had settled in his mind that Job Lord would work us harm as soon as it suited his purpose, and there was nothing the man might say which would convince him to the contrary.

"You talk well, Master Lord," he said, holding the coat ready to be thrust into the mouth of the villain if so be he attempted to make any outcry, "and I know full well that you could give proof of having served the Cause to a certain extent; but if you haven't worked greater advantage to the king, I'll agree to crawl on all fours so long a time as I may live."

"If I had counted on playing false, why were you allowed to remain here all this time, and why did I make you as comfortable as was in my power?" Master Lord asked, now beginning to understand that soft words would be of but little avail with one like Hiram.

"Those are questions which I cannot answer just now; but after we have put you in such plight that it will be no longer possible to make an outcry, I'm counting on doing what I may at finding out. It will go hard if there isn't something in the room above that will disprove your words."

For the first time since we had fallen upon him did I see the man wince, and on the instant all my fears that we might have made a grievous mistake were dispelled, for I knew as well as if he had told me in so many words, that evidence would be found against him if the house was searched.

"You've hit it right, Hiram!" I cried; "but don't spend too much time talking here, lest those who have visited him before should come again and discover that the trap-door is open."

"Run up the ladder, lad, and see to it that doors and windows are barred securely," he said quickly, and I obeyed feverishly, fearing lest before I could do as he desired those men who had quarreled with Master Lord might return.

In addition to the locks on the side and rear doors, were stout bars, and after having assured myself that the bolts were shot, I put the timbers securely in place; then examined carefully the fastenings of every shutter until having satisfied myself beyond peradventure that none could enter from the outside save by battering down the barriers.

When I was come into the cellar again, Job Lord had been bound hand and foot after much the same fashion as was Seth Jepson, and the lads must have lifted him upon one of the beds, for he was lying there with a gag, formed from Hiram's coat, in his mouth, glaring at us fiercely.

"We may as well bring the Tory lad out here to bear him company," Archie suggested, and in a twinkling Hiram came from behind the casks with Seth in his arms.

Even though up to this time we had had suspicions in our minds that a wrong was being done Job Lord, they would have vanished when those two saw each other.

Seth Jepson gave vent to a cry of surprise, and on Master Lord's face could be read that which told, so I fancied, of an acquaintance between them.

"Shall we gag Seth?" Harvey asked, and Hiram replied as if it was a matter of little moment:

"There's no need of taking so much trouble. You and Archie are to stay here while Luke and I have a look over the house, and if so be Seth unwisely attempts to make a disturbance, put your knife into him, for we should be doing the Cause no little service by sending both these fellows out of the world."

Then, motioning to me, Hiram led the way up the ladder, and after some searching in that room which served Job Lord as a kitchen we found a store of tallow dips, one of which we lighted, because, since the shutters had been closed, it was almost dark within the dwelling.

Master Lord's home was not sumptuously furnished; but he was well outfitted with chests of drawers and cupboards such as housewives fancy, and among these we began our search, taking first that piece of furniture which was at the same time a desk for writing and a receptacle for books and papers.

We had not long to search, if to prove that Job Lord had been acting as a tool for the Britishers was our only aim. On the top of the desk, as if it had been but lately placed there, was a folded paper, and when Hiram opened it eagerly I read these words across the top:

"Information for Job Lord to send to the rebels."

Then followed what I knew to be a false account of the doings of the Britishers; but neither Hiram nor I cared to read it entirely.

"I reckon here's enough to hang Master Lord, if so be we had him in Cambridge," my companion said grimly, and then, his appetite for evidence being whetted by that which had come so conveniently to hand, he continued the search, finding four or five documents proving that our host was in friendly communication with the Britishers.

Then we came upon that which caused Hiram to cry aloud in triumph and satisfaction, for it was neither more nor less than a pass from General Gage himself, permitting the bearer and friends to leave the city by any route whatsoever.

"I'm allowing we won't have to swim from here to Cambridge!" Hiram said exultantly, as he carefully folded and placed the precious document inside his stocking.

I believed this would be the end of our search, because we had found all for which we came, and more. To people in our situation a safeguard from the king's governor was something of more value than can well be understood by those who did not live in the days when British might made right.

"Now we can go when we please, and the sooner we set off the better, for surely it would be folly to make any attempt at aiding Silas while he is so closely guarded," I cried, and Hiram replied grimly:

"Even though we decide to leave without making any effort toward accomplishing that for which we came, I'm allowing there's no need for overly much haste, more especially since we can pass ourselves off as Job Lord and friends easier after night has fully come."