Commodore Barney's Young Spies

"Where is that, uncle?" Jerry cried excitedly, and the old darkey replied as he pointed out the direction:

"Ober yander, sah, des whar you'se kin see de red roof."

Now it was that I understood what was in Jerry's mind, and only with difficulty could I restrain myself from running forward at full speed.

If Darius had been captured, then it was in the "stone house" he must be confined, and I believed our search would be at an end if we could look into every portion of that building.

There were many loungers near about, and no one might say how many were British spies or sympathizers, therefore we remained looking at the men who were digging amid the ruins until feeling certain our departure would not attract undue attention.

There were many lads of about our age idling on the streets, watching simply from curiosity the movements of the enemy, and I said to myself that if we were careful to do nothing which might cause suspicion, we could walk wheresoever we pleased without fear of being taken for lads who, under Commodore Barney, had given the invaders such good battle for the possession of the hill at Bladensburg.

"Now we know where Darius is!" Jerry exclaimed when we were where there was little danger our words would be overheard.

"How can you be so certain of that? He might have come to grief in many another way than that of being gobbled up by the enemy."

"In any other case I'll warrant he'd have contrived to send some word to us. I'm convinced he's in the 'stone house.'"

"In which event I'm afraid we can't be of much assistance to the poor fellow. The Britishers will take good care that their prisoners don't escape."

"I'm not so certain about that," Jerry replied stoutly. "In case we have time enough, it should be possible to do somethin'. If we could let him know that we're near at hand I'll go bail he'd cook up some kind of a plan."

While thus talking we had been walking at a reasonably rapid pace toward the ruins of the arsenal, and were now arrived so near that it was possible to see the red-coated sentries pacing to and fro in front of the building. At one side a number of soldiers were bivouacked, probably that they might be on hand in case the prisoners attempted to rise against the keepers, and here, there, everywhere were curious ones – perhaps some interested as were we – gazing at the small building where were so many brave fellows, most likely penned up like cattle.

"The greater number of those idlers must be townspeople, and since they are allowed to loiter around the buildin' there's no good reason why we shouldn't do the same," Jerry said as I came to a halt, and he had hardly more than spoken before he stepped back very suddenly, pulling me with him.

"What's the matter?" I asked in alarm, for at such a time one's fears rise rapidly.

"Look at that fellow who is standin' on his tiptoes to look in at the window!" my partner whispered, and obeying, I saw that miserable cur whom we had twice captured, and who had contrived to escape us the same number of times.

"Elias Macomber!" I cried involuntarily.

"Ay," Jerry replied, "an' now I can read you the whole riddle. Darius came around this way when the prisoners were set free; Macomber saw him, and gave information to the enemy, thus causin' the old man's arrest. Now the villain is tryin' to get a glimpse of the sailor in order to crow over him!"

I had no doubt but that the lad had come very near the truth in his guessing; but I did not speculate upon it very long, for the question in my mind was whether we could be of any service to the old man who had served us so truly and faithfully.

"What's to be done?" Jerry asked as we stepped behind a clump of bushes in a nearby garden where we might not be seen by the fellow who would have rejoiced if he could have put us in the same place with Darius.

At the moment Jerry spoke I had never an idea as to what might be done; but I replied as if the plan was plainly mapped out in my mind:

"You shall go back to the smoke-house and tell father and the lads what we have learned. Say that we may not be back until dark; but they are to stay under cover no matter what happens, short of being discovered by the British. I'll watch here till Macomber goes away, for he isn't likely to play at that game all day, and you should be back within an hour."

Jerry started off without stopping to argue the question, and I was left alone to keep in view the man who could do us so much mischief if he had an inkling that we were in the vicinity.

Twice he spoke with the sentinel, as if asking some favor, and each time the man shook his head decidedly, therefore I concluded that the cur had tried to enter the building that he might jeer such of the prisoners as had been friends of his in the past.

Then he peered in at the window again, never making an effort to look through any other, and I concluded that from such position he could see the prisoner he had most reason to hate, which, of course, must be Darius.

I did not dare remain in one position all the while, lest some one see that I was spying upon the prison and grow suspicious as to my motives, while Macomber was so intent upon gazing at his enemies that I might have brushed past him without attracting attention.

Therefore it was that I paced to and fro, never taking my eyes from the cur, however, and making certain there was a place of concealment near at hand into which I could dart at a moment's warning.

Not until fully half an hour had passed did he abandon his fruitless efforts, and then he walked in the direction of the British encampment as if with some fixed purpose in his mind, which, I had no doubt, was to ask for a permit to visit the prisoners.

Had he gone toward any other quarter of the city it would have pleased me to see him go; but now I was sorely distressed in mind, for his way led the same course Jerry must pursue when returning from the smoke-house, and it would be the irony of fate if the two should come face to face.

However, that was an evil which I could not mend, and, therefore, I put the matter from my mind so far as possible, while I set about doing the only thing which seemed to promise a chance to have speech with our comrade.

I proposed to take Macomber's place at the window, and if it was possible to see Darius inside, there was no question in my mind but that I could contrive to attract his attention.

There was no little danger in making the attempt, because I might thus arouse suspicion in the mind of the sentry, or be seen by an officer who would insist on knowing why I was there; but it was the only way by which I could have speech with Darius, if indeed he was a prisoner, and I determined to take the chances.

I lounged across the street as if having no particular purpose in view; walked past the end of the building twice, peering about me like a simple, and then stepped up to the window.

One glance inside and I saw the man for whom I had been searching. He was lying at full length on the floor, chewing tobacco most industriously, and seated tailor-fashion beside him was Bill Jepson.

There were very many militiamen in the room; but these two old shell-backs seemed to hold themselves aloof from the others, and I could well understand that this exclusiveness was because of the cowardice shown by many of the toy soldiers the day previous.

Neither Darius nor Bill seemed to be paying any attention to what was going on around them, and I began to realize that it might not be as simple a matter to attract their attention as I had supposed.

I did not dare do anything which would cause the sentry to be curious, or be noticed particularly by those who were passing in either direction, therefore the most I ventured was to drum idly on the glass with the tips of my fingers, which was not a difficult task since the iron bars were so far apart that I could thrust my entire arm between them and the window-sash.

Darius was not as heedless to the surroundings as he appeared. No sooner had I begun to tap ever so gently than he looked up, and after one quick, meaning glance, rose leisurely to his feet, speaking softly meanwhile to Bill.

The latter never so much as looked toward me; but the two moved here or there as if weary with remaining long in one position, and all the while they were approaching the window.

Then Darius leaned against the sash, with Bill facing the middle of the room, as he talked with many gesticulations to his companion.

I noticed that the old man bent over as if weary, until his face was very near the glass, and while Bill waved his arms as if in the midst of a heated argument, I saw Darius' lips move.

"On the roof – to-night – bring rope – ten o'clock."

No less than three times were these words repeated, I reading them from the motion of his lips, for as a matter of course he did not dare to speak so loud that I could hear him.

Then I went through the same motions with my lips, in order to make certain there could be no mistake, and Darius nodded his head in token that I had the words correctly.

Now it was my business to get away from the prison as soon as possible, for Elias Macomber might return at any moment, and I backed into the street while gazing at the top of the building, looking, most likely, the greenest lad that ever visited a city.

While thus acting the simple I was making ready for whatsoever plan Darius wanted to carry into effect, for I studied the outside of the jail until I could tell within a foot of how much rope would be needed.

The "stone house" was three stories in height, with an ordinary pitched roof from which projected four chimneys – two at each end. From the eaves to the ground I judged it was not less than thirty feet, and from the eaves to the nearest chimney, measuring at whichsoever corner you chose, was ten feet. To that length add three feet for a turn around the chimney and two half-hitches, and one had the length of rope Darius wanted – say forty-three or four feet.

I noticed that on the side of the roof nearest the street was a trap-door or scuttle very nearly in the middle, well up toward the ridge-pole, and it must be that our comrades would come through that, since I saw no other way by which they could get outside.

Without doubt those two old shell-backs had made a careful survey of the place within ten minutes after being imprisoned, and had a plan for escape mapped out ready to be carried into execution, providing any aid could be had from the outside.

By the time I had backed entirely across the street I had a picture of the jail in my mind which could be recalled at any moment, and as I turned to saunter away I came face to face with Jerry.

"Have you been over there?" he asked, motioning toward the "stone house."