The Boy Spies of Philadelphia

At that instant, while he was not in a position to defend himself, Enoch flung the pistol as if it had been a rock, and, fortunately, hit the man full on the head.

He fell like one suddenly stricken dead, and Enoch shouted as he leaped over the prostrate body:

"Come on, boys! Keep your clubs, for there's no telling whom we may meet downstairs!"

At the same instant he seized his former weapon, and in two or three bounds was in the hall below.

Seth and Jacob followed closely at his heels, and the latter at once set about unfastening the front door, which was not only locked, but bolted and barred.

The noise of the conflict had alarmed the other inmates of the house, and they came running into the hall with loud screams.

There was no man among them, and the boys breathed more freely.

"Keep back!" Enoch cried sternly as Seth and Jacob worked at the well-fastened door. "We have fought only for our freedom, of which that man would have deprived us, and shall strike even a woman if she attempts to prevent our leaving!"

"You have killed him!" some one shrieked, and the remainder of the group set up a series of the shrillest cries for help.

"He isn't dead!" Enoch shouted at the full strength of his lungs, forced thus to exert himself in order that his words might be heard. "He will recover his senses presently; but you are not to go to him yet," he added as two of the women attempted to pass him. "We don't intend to have another fight if it can be avoided, and it's better he lays where he is for awhile. Can't you open the door, boys?"

"There are more locks and bolts here than I ever saw before," Seth replied nervously. "This house must be a regular castle when it is closed and properly defended."

A second later, just when Enoch was beginning to fear he would really be forced to carry out his threat and strike some of the females to prevent them from going up the stairs, Jacob flung open the barrier.

"Come on!" he cried, leaping into the open air, and his comrades did not delay following his example.

As they emerged the boys could see, far away to the right, a moving column of redcoats, and understood that the enemy was even then passing in force between this house and the town of Mount Holly.

"It stands us in hand to hark back on our trail at the best pace possible, otherwise we may fall into the Britishers' hands!" Jacob cried, running at full speed in the direction from which they had come on the night previous.

They surely had good reason to leave that neighborhood far in the rear without loss of time, for there was cause to fear that scouting parties of the enemy might make prisoners of them, and also that the Tory, recovering from his wounds, would come in pursuit with a force sufficiently large to overpower them.

"We should at least have brought pistols," Jacob said ten minutes later, when they halted at the brow of a hill to regain breath. "The idea of scouting around where there are plenty of enemies, with nothing but a bedpost as a weapon."

"We didn't have as much as that when we left camp," Seth replied with a laugh.

"I won't be caught in such a mess again, even if I am obliged to go against positive orders," and Master Ludwick was once more allowing his rage to become the master.

"We are bound to obey orders, no matter what the command may be," Enoch said earnestly. "But it is foolish to spend time in getting angry, when we've such a long road ahead of us. Come on, boys, and now that we have so much of a start we can afford to walk instead of run; but must not halt again until we are in camp."

It was destined, however, that the discomfited scouts should not be forced to make a long journey.

After an hour's rapid traveling they were met by a squad of Continental scouts, and told that General Dickinson's force was bearing down on Mount Holly.

"Where is the general now?" Seth asked anxiously.

"Not more than two miles in the rear. Have you seen the enemy?"

"The Britishers are between here and the town."

"Did you see the whole force?"

"We didn't stop for such a critical examination," Seth replied grimly. "Just at that time we were doing our best to escape from the house of a Tory, where we'd been kept prisoners over night, and – "

"Was it a big building on the right-hand side of the road, with four poplar trees in front?" one of the men asked.

"Yes, and the door is painted green."

"I know the house well. A rank Tory by the name of Plummer lives there, and I only hope we may be given orders to pay him a visit. I've had some dealings with that fellow myself."

Seth would have questioned the soldier as to what "dealings" he had had, but for the fact that Enoch whispered:

"We mustn't wait here to talk; the general will expect us to come to him as soon as possible."

Then, asking for and receiving more explicit directions as to where General Dickinson would be found, the boys hurried forward, and, half an hour later, were detailing their experiences to the commander.

"Not very successful on your first scout, eh?" he said with a smile when the story was finished.

"We have at least learned where the Britishers are," Seth replied grimly, "and, what is more, know that the man Plummer is not a friend of the cause."

"I think it will be a good idea to call on him when we have time. We shall bivouac here tonight, for the sun will set in less than an hour, and you boys are excused from further duty to-day. Early to-morrow morning Master Ball will report to me personally."

"I suppose that means I am to be sent back to the main army," Enoch said just a trifle petulantly when they were so far away from General Dickinson that he could not overhear the remark. "I had begun to hope I might be allowed to stay with you fellows."

"It is better to be an aid on the commander-in-chief's staff than running around the country with the risk of being caught again as we were last night," Jacob replied, and once more he was showing unmistakable signs of envy.

"I had rather be with you, and have a chance to earn the sword you are always talking about. Just think how I shall feel if I am sent riding back and forth over the country when a battle is going on."

Seth put an end to the conversation by insisting that they find a comfortable place in which to spend the night, and after he had seen to it that his horse was not suffering from lack of care, Enoch was ready and willing to take advantage of the opportunity to sleep.

The troops were awakened an hour before daylight next morning, and as the boys obeyed the summons to "turn out," they heard the more experienced soldiers talking about the fight which was imminent.

"Is there to be a battle?" Enoch asked of a veteran.

"Hardly that yet awhile, lad; but we've been sent down here to harass the enemy, an' this 'ere early call looks as if we was about to begin our work. I reckon we can count mighty sartin on swappin' shots with the Britishers before nightfall."

"And I am to go back just when it is possible I might do something!" Enoch exclaimed to his comrades, "You will have a chance to distinguish yourselves, while all I can do is to ride where there is no danger."

"Wait till you've seen as much service as I have, lad, an' then you'll bless your lucky stars that you're to be out of the scrimmage. It's well enough to talk 'bout the glory to be won on a battlefield while there's no enemy near; but when you see fifteen thousand or more agin your five or six hundred, the glory don't seem so great."

Master Ludwick looked as if he agreed perfectly with this remark of the veteran's.

Enoch knew he was not warranted in standing there pouring forth his complaints when he had been ordered to report at headquarters, and after such a toilet as it was possible to make, he went to the general's camp.

It seemed to his comrades that he had but just left them when he returned looking unusually glum.

"What's the matter?" Jacob asked. "Ain't you going?"

"That's just the trouble; I am going, and with no time to spare. It's simply a case of carrying this letter, a job that could be done as well by any girl who can ride."