Otis James
The Minute Boys of York Town

CHAPTER XI
A DESPERATE VENTURE

As Pierre and I walked aimlessly to and fro without other purpose than to convince Abel Hunt we were really without a shelter, and not daring to hold converse one with another lest he should overhear, the bitter thought was in my mind that Uncle 'Rasmus must perforce remain in old Mary's cabin standing guard over the prisoner.

I tried to remember how much water we had left in the cabin, and finally came to the conclusion that there was less than a quart in the bucket when I last quenched my thirst, therefore neither the old negro nor the Tory prisoner would have a bit to eat or a sup to drink until we had succeeded in throwing Abel Hunt off our track.

As a matter of course I understood that Morgan, the Jerseyman, would visit the cabin late in the evening in order to learn whether we had delivered the message with which he had charged us; but although I could find so much of trouble in the future, I failed of guessing that we might be forced to remain away from the cabin a full four and twenty hours.

It seemed to me positive that long before such time had elapsed Abel Hunt would weary of acting as our shadow; but certain it was that until we had tired him out, or something more promising attracted his attention, we must keep our distance from Uncle 'Rasmus and his prisoner.

We had been walking to and fro mayhap ten minutes with the fellow close at our heels, and then, quickening his pace, he came up to my side as he said in a surly tone:

"I do not believe you are in this village without shelter for the night! Unless I mistake not your father owns one or more houses here, and why should you be forced to walk around? It is because you are not willing for me to know where you are stopping, which means that there is some of your rebel mischief afoot causing you to fear I may work you harm."

"It concerns me very little, Abel Hunt, what you believe," I replied sharply, "and as for my intent to work mischief, it is a dream born in your own evil head."

"Why do you not go to one of your father's houses?" he demanded, and I replied, striving to curb my anger which rose hot against the masterful tone he had dared use to me:

"It would seem that you have a better knowledge of my father's property than myself. If indeed he does own any houses in York, then is it most likely they have been taken possession of by the king's soldiers, for my Lord Cornwallis is not so kindly disposed toward us whom he calls rebels, as toward you Tories who claim to love the king, doing so simply because you hope to profit thereby in the way of money or of safety for your worthless necks."

Then I pressed forward more quickly to prevent the fellow from walking so close by my side, and whether it was chance, or because Pierre so directed our steps, I cannot say; the fact is, however, that we were speedily come out on the river front directly opposite Gloucester Point, and here, as if he was leg-weary, little Frenchie threw himself on the ground within twenty paces of the water's edge.

"Are you minded to stop here, lad?" I asked in a low tone, and he replied with what sounded to me much like an odd inflection of the voice:

"I have walked around so long, Fitz, that it seems impossible to take another step. Since we must pass the time in some way 'twixt now and sunrise, why not let it be at this place where we can stretch out at full length, and mayhap sleep."

"Thinking you would tire me out, eh?" Abel Hunt cried, he having as a matter of course been so close to our heels that it was possible for him to hear the lightest word.

"It makes little difference whether we tire you out, or you remain near by, so that you keep at a respectful distance. It is not your following which annoys me; but your striving to hug so closely."

"Perhaps I am not good enough for such as you?" Hunt cried angrily, and now it was that I ceased striving to hold my temper in check, replying in quite as hot a tone as the question had been asked:

"You have hit exactly upon the truth, Abel Hunt, and it is no news to you, for from the time I can remember I have ever striven to give you a wide berth, because of your breeding."

"Before this war is over it may be that you, Fitzroy Hamilton, will regret that you were not bred in different fashion. The people of Virginia are not all alike, and many will hold accountable those who have brought the war into our borders."

It was useless to bandy words with the fellow, as I understood, even though my anger was so great that it would have soothed me somewhat to give him a plain statement of the position he occupied in Virginia; but I held my peace as I threw myself down by the side of little Frenchie, counting that the lad would chide me for having had speech with Abel Hunt. Instead of so doing he remained silent, his head pillowed on his arm as he looked across the river toward the twinkling lights on Gloucester Point where a portion of Lord Cornwallis's army was encamped, and straightway there came into my mind the thought that the dear lad was striving to cook up some plan which might work to our advantage.

It is true that his last scheme had brought us into sore trouble; but that was no proof he could not in the future, as he had in the past, contrive something to our benefit. I made no attempt to enter into conversation with him; but was content to lie there watching.

Abel Hunt stood shifting uneasily from one foot to the other, half a dozen paces distant, as if deliberating whether he would have further speech with me on the subject of breeding, and I fancied, perhaps because I hoped it might be so, that he was eager to turn his attention to something more diverting than acting as a shadow to Pierre and me.

As the time wore on, however, I began to doubt the correctness of my guess, for Hunt in turn threw himself down on the ground at full length, as if to rest, and was seemingly encamped there for the night.

When I would have whispered to Pierre, counting on asking him if we had not best try to escape from the fellow by the quickness of our heels, the little lad motioned for me to remain quiet, and because of past experience I obeyed him on the instant.

Now and then a soldier bent on some errand, or a sentinel on duty, passed by; but gave no heed. None save Abel Hunt in all that town of York appeared to fancy that it might be worth while to watch us.

Then, after it seemed as if a full night had passed, I heard the sentries call the hour of midnight. We must have been there on the river bank not less than three hours, and now it was, being thus warned of the passage of time, that Abel Hunt began to grow uneasy.

Watching him out of the tail of my eyes as I lay silent and motionless by Pierre's side, I saw the fellow raise himself on his elbow and look steadily at both us lads, as if striving to make out whether we might have fallen asleep, and I began to breathe heavily, as does one who slumbers soundly, whereupon Pierre, who must also have been taking note of Hunt's movements, followed my example.

Then the fellow rose to his feet, came softly beside us and bent over, striving to get a view of our faces even though the night was dark, and all the while we gave him fair token of being wrapped in the unconsciousness of slumber.

He stood over us a full two minutes striving to make out to his entire satisfaction whether we were asleep or awake, and then, evidently having come to the conclusion that we were indeed in Dreamland, he stole softly away.

Raising my head ever so slightly I noted that he took the direction which would lead him near to my Lord Cornwallis's headquarters, and for the first time since we had come upon the knave did I grow really timorous. It needed not any very quick-witted lad to understand what would be the result if even such a dissolute fellow as Abel Hunt should give information that the son of a well-known rebel was loitering around the village after night-fall, claiming to have no place where he could find shelter.

"I believe he is going directly to headquarters to make report concerning us," I whispered in Pierre's ear, taking good care meanwhile not to move my body lest peradventure Hunt might look back and discover that we were not asleep.

"Well, there is nothing we can do to prevent him if he be so disposed," little Frenchie replied indifferently, and I exclaimed in surprise:

"One would suppose that it concerned you very little, whereas I'm not so certain but that the end of it may be a halter for both of us."

"It really does concern me very little," Pierre said decidedly. "I can do nothing to prevent it, and cannot afford to spend my time looking for danger in the future, because we have that task to do which must be performed even though a dozen like Abel Hunt were standing ready to accuse us of being spies."

"What do you mean by that?" I cried. "What business have we on hand so urgent?"

"To carry the message with which the Jerseyman entrusted us."

"But that is impossible now Hunt had found us out."

"Why do you say that? How is it that the meeting with such as Abel Hunt can prevent us from doing the work of Minute Boys when it lays at our hand?"

"But how will you leave this town of York? When we go to ask permission to take a boat for the purpose of fishing, you can depend upon it he will be near at hand, and if he has not already done so, will then reveal all he knows concerning me."

"Suppose we don't give him that opportunity?" Pierre said thoughtfully. "Suppose we neglect to ask permission from any one to go out to get fish enough to prevent ourselves from starving?"

"How then will you go? Surely you are not so venturesome as to take to the water on a course to the right of Gloucester Point, when by so doing we must pass the king's vessels? The Charon is anchored directly on the course we would need to pursue in order to carry out the instructions which have been given."

"And she would still be there if we waited until daylight, and then asked permission from some of these swaggering officers of the king who have no love for any one save themselves."

I was mystified by Pierre's words, although surely by this time I should have come to understand that his odd speech betokened the perfecting of a plan, and I remained silent as if believing he would make sport of me, until two or three minutes had elapsed when Abel Hunt could no longer be seen in the gloom.

Then it was that little Frenchie suddenly stood upright, and, pointing to a skiff hauled up on the shore not more than thirty feet from where he lay, asked sharply:

"Have you the courage, Fitz Hamilton, to embark with me in yonder craft, and go down to the Gloucester shore where we may remain hidden amid the foliage until it is sufficiently light for us to make out whether any one comes looking for a messenger from the Jerseyman?"

"Meaning to brave the Britishers?" I cried in something very like alarm.

"Meaning to carry the message which it is necessary should be delivered, and without heed whatsoever to these gentry who wear red coats."

"I have the courage, Pierre," I said, after a time of hesitation; "but have we the right to desert Uncle 'Rasmus while he must for his own sake hold Horry Sims a prisoner, and when he has nothing whatsoever to eat or drink in the cabin? Surely it would be deserting him for us to take boat now and leave the village, if peradventure we can do so, for there are an hundred chances against our being able to return, and only one in our favor. It is the same as abandoning Uncle 'Rasmus."

"And if it were abandoning him, and Saul, and every one whom we know, yet would I say it was our duty to go because the Jerseyman, expecting his message to be delivered, will give no further heed to sending it into the American lines."

Although Pierre's words had fired me, and it was possible at any time for the lad to arouse all my enthusiasm and all my bravery when he spoke as he had a moment previous, I understood that it was a most dangerous venture which he proposed, such as might be tried twenty times over without success.

Mark you, in order to gain the Gloucester shore at the point near where the Jerseyman claimed we would find someone awaiting us, we must sail in our skiff, without a pass from my Lord Cornwallis, within hailing distance of the Charon, or of the Guadaloupe, both of which vessels lay where their guns could be brought to bear either on York or Gloucester, and it did not seem to me within the range of possibilities that we could pass either craft without being discovered by the sentries who would undoubtedly order us to come alongside.

Even though we were minded to be so reckless as to take the chances of disobeying an order, it could avail us nothing, for pursuit would be given immediately, and how might we hope to escape from a vessel of war's boat, manned most like by a dozen men, we being only two lads not overly well skilled in rowing.

I was turning all this over in my mind, and becoming more and more convinced each instant that it was the wildest scheme Pierre had ever proposed, when he turned upon me sharply and asked with a note of anger in his tone:

"Are you afraid to make the venture?"

"There is no lad, no, nor no man either, who shall say I am afraid to do this or that!" I cried hotly. "I dare do what any other lad may."

"Then come with me, and before daybreak we will be hidden on the Gloucester shore."

"Before the day breaks you will be a prisoner on board either the Guadaloupe or the Charon, unless one of the smaller vessels chances to make the capture," I said, "and yet, knowing that such must be the case, I am minded to follow, so you may have fair opportunity of proving that this will turn out even more to our disadvantage than did your plan of getting sight of Saul Ogden to hearten him, and, instead, come across Abel Hunt."

"It is not well Fitz, that you should harp upon a single failure," Pierre said softly, and on the instant I regretted having spoken. "There was not in my mind any hope we might be able to aid the lad; but I thought by chance he would see us if we passed his prison, and know we had not forgotten him. If I had asked you to go out for a stroll because I was weary with remaining in the cabin so long, you would have followed quite as readily, and then should we have come upon Abel Hunt even as we did."

"Forgive me, Pierre, forgive me," I cried remorsefully. "Lead the way, and I will go with you readily, even though I claim it is a most desperate venture, but promise faithfully not to throw it in your teeth however sore the failure may be."

The little French lad was not inclined to waste words after I had promised to accompany him; but set off at a rapid pace toward where the skiff was lying, and I followed, having vividly in mind the fact that we were leaving Uncle 'Rasmus to what might be a most cruel fate, at the same time believing we had deserted Saul entirely, for there was not in my mind any hope whatsoever we could succeed in re-entering the town of York now that the Britishers were keeping such sharp watch.

Even though fortune should favor us in the most remarkable degree, we surely would not be tempted to come back to this fortified village during the hours of daylight, therefore were we shutting ourselves out until full four and twenty hours passed, during which time how much of disaster might have come upon those whom we had the same as abandoned?

It was much the same as folly for me to hark back in my mind to all the dangers which might come upon us, for I had agreed to follow the lad wheresoever he might lead, and for me to dwell upon the probable danger could serve no other end than that of making me timorous, therefore it was I strove earnestly to put from my mind everything save the old thought that I would do all within my power to help him carry out his purpose.

The lad had not set out toward the boat until the sentry, who had been pacing to and fro near us, turned to go to the other end of his beat, and when we were come to the craft there were none within sight so far as I could make out.

She was a light skiff, perhaps one of the smallest that could have been found on the shore, and had friends been making arrangements for us to do this very work they could not have laid the tools more conveniently at hand, for there were two pairs of oars in the craft, and it only needed we should shove her ten or twelve paces before she was water borne.

I followed Pierre over the gunwale, kicking at the bank as I did so with sufficient force to send her rocking like an egg-shell out into the current.

The night was not so dark but that we could see the black tracery of the English ships as they lay at anchor guarding both encampments, and unless the sentries on board these vessels of the king were asleep or blind they could not fail of seeing us, however wide a detour we might make.

I fully expected to hear one of the sentinels on the shore ordering us to come back and show a permit for being aboard at such an hour; but no one hailed, and we set the skiff's bow on a direct course to that part of the Gloucester shore which we hoped to gain, giving no heed to his majesty's vessels in the way.

"We cannot hope to pass them without being discovered," I said in a low tone as I settled back at the oars, putting into them every ounce of strength I could summon.

"It may be they will let us go on after we have explained our purpose, or so much of it as we may be pleased to give," Pierre said hopefully; "but even if they turn us back, we shall be no worse off than before, and will have the satisfaction of knowing that we strove to our utmost to do as the Jerseyman desired."

"We shall be no worse off unless we are sent to share Saul's imprisonment in the guard-house."

Then I bent my back yet more vigorously at the oars, if that could be possible, the labor serving in some slight degree to prevent me from dwelling upon the disagreeable possibilities.

Our course brought us within mayhap an hundred yards of the Charon's stern, and before we were on a line with her came that hail which I had feared to hear:

"Cease rowing!"

"Do as they bid, Fitz; it is our only hope," Pierre whispered, and I obeyed him.

"Come alongside and show your pass," the voice demanded, and I could hear the foot-falls of the sentry as he came from amidships aft and leaned over the rail that he might see us more clearly.

"We have no pass, sir," Pierre said meekly. "We have been sent over to Gloucester with a message from one officer to another, on what I count may be private business."

"Come alongside and show the message," the same voice demanded.

Then did I believe that little Frenchie was at the end of his rope; but instead of showing any confusion or fear he replied cheerily:

"It is no more than word of mouth that the major of Colonel Tarleton's legion come into York for a supper."

The sentry, or whoever it might be that had hailed us, hung in the wind a moment as if undecided whether to give further orders, and then said grudgingly, not being minded, as I fancied, to disgruntle any officers of my Lord Cornwallis's command:

"Go your way, then; but make certain to come directly back as soon as the message has been delivered."

"You can count on our getting into York again as soon as we may," Pierre replied laughingly, and added by whispering to me, "Now, lad, pull the best you know how, and the danger has passed!"

It was as he said. It could only have been blind luck which stationed a credulous and good-natured sentry of the Charon at that particular moment, for nineteen men out of twenty would have done their whole duty, which was to bring us alongside and report the matter to the officer of the deck.

We were not disposed to grumble because the fellow had not done his duty, however, and when we were beyond ear-shot I said warningly to the little French lad:

"You have squeaked out of a mighty small hole, Pierre; but do not let it encourage you overly much, for it is not within the bounds of reason that we can take such chances again and have everything turn favorable for us."

"We won't count on those chances that are in the future, Fitz Hamilton," Pierre replied cheerily; "but will hark back on this one, remembering that we got thus far on our journey, even though we may be turned about within the next five minutes."

There was little likelihood we would find any obstacle in the way from this on, if so be we landed at a respectful distance from the encampment. The vessels in the stream between Gloucester and York were evidently supposed by the commander-in-chief to be sufficient guard for the water-ways, and so far as I had been able to learn, no small boats patrolled the river.

Nor did we meet with any. The way was open before us, and ere yet there were tokens in the eastern sky of the coming of a new day, we had pulled the skiff up amid the bushes more than two miles beyond Gloucester point.

"It begins now to look as though we should succeed in delivering the message which the Jerseyman wanted sent into the American lines, and if that can be done we need concern ourselves no further regarding the outcome, for it matters little what happens to two lads like you and me," Pierre said.

I could agree with the first part of the proposition; but was not sufficiently stout-hearted to say with truth that I was indifferent as to what might befall me, because however great a love I had for the Cause, my affection for Fitzroy Hamilton and his safe being, was much stronger.

Until the sun had risen we remained within the screen of foliage resting from our labor at the oars; but straightway day had fully dawned Pierre laid his plans for coming upon this man whom the Jerseyman believed would be looking for a messenger, by stationing me a quarter of a mile up the bank, while he took post about the same distance below.

"Now it is that we must take some chances," little Frenchie said when we were about to go to our posts of duty. "It may be that the first who appears will be a Tory, and we have no means of determining his politics. If I see a person who appears by his movements to be watching for some one from the York shore, then shall I run the risk of letting him know we are lately come from the village."

I understood he would have me do the same, and walked slowly along the shore keeping within the line of foliage, and thinking meanwhile that as soon as this task had been finished, if indeed it ever was, we might with good cause seek for food from some plantation nearby, for my stomach was crying out loudly that it was time to break fast.

Well, to make what may seem an overly long story as short as possible, I will content myself by saying that we two lads remained sometimes out in full view, and again amid the foliage where we were partially screened, until a good two hours had passed. Then there came into my view a man with a bit of green in his hat, clad somewhat after the fashion of a Virginia planter, who moved cautiously, not seeing me until he was where it would be possible to have a view of York village, when he seated himself upon the ground as if on watch.

I made no delay in going toward him, and fancied he looked more than a little concerned that I should have appeared so suddenly, all of which went to strengthen my belief that this was the man whom we were seeking, therefore without juggling words, I asked him:

"Do you await some messenger from the other shore, sir?"

He looked me over from head to toe before answering, and then replied by asking a question:

"Is there any good reason why it concerns you, young master, if I so wait here?"

"Ay, sir, that it does, since I, with my comrade who is on watch lower down the shore, am come to find some one who awaits a message, or, we may say, who is eager for news."

"Who are you?"

"The son of Alexander Hamilton, whose plantation lies within the bounds of the town of James; but who himself is in the American army."

"Did any one send you here?"

"Yes, we were asked to show ourselves in a boat off the shore; but inasmuch as we were forced to sneak out of York, it did not seem safe we should make overly much of an exhibition of ourselves."

"Who sent you?"

"Tell me first from whom you are expecting a message, and then I will answer the question."

"Do you know aught of a man by the name of Morgan?"

Then it was that without replying I raised my voice, calling Pierre by name, for now was I positive we had hit upon the man whom the spy would have us see, and when little Frenchie had replied, I explained to the stranger that it was my comrade to whom the message had been delivered, and I believed he should have the credit of repeating it. Ten minutes later the man was scurrying across country at his best speed, without having uttered no word of thanks or praise for what we had done. No sooner did Pierre give that message which the Jerseyman had entrusted him with, and declared that we had no other information, than the fellow wheeled quickly about like a fox who has got the scent of dogs, and straightway we were alone, looking blankly into each other's faces, asking mentally whether it might not be possible we had given the Jerseyman's information to another, for it did not seem within the range of possibilities that one of our way of thinking would have received such news and never given sign or word of acknowledgment.

"I fancy he has only in mind to save his own skin, and believes that this shore in the rear of a British encampment is not the safest place in the world for one of his politics," Pierre said musingly after a brief time of silence. "We were not told how this man would prove himself to be the one we were sent in search of, therefore it cannot be set down to our discredit if we have fumbled the job."

"And what now?" I asked moodily, almost persuaded, because of the movements of the stranger, that we had advertised the fact of our serving a spy, and the stranger had gone in search of those who would arrest us.

"We can do no less than stay here until another night has come, and before sunset it should be possible to devise some means of passing the English sentries. Just now, however, I am inclined to believe we would do well to set out in search of something to eat. Do you know any of the planters nearabout?"

"Not within a dozen miles or more. It is quite certain, however, that many of them nearabout Gloucester are Tories, while others would remain neither for king nor for colony; yet I suppose we must take our chances, unless we are willing to make breakfast, dinner and supper of this pure, fresh air."

"We will make our way to the negro quarters on some plantation," Pierre said quickly. "When it comes to trusting a stranger, I can put more faith in a black face than a white one."

Having thus spoken the lad started inland, walking swiftly, and as if he had both course and destination marked out plainly before him.