The Minute Boys of Boston Part 23

"How do you know that?" I cried, my voice sounding shrill because of the fear which came upon me concerning the other lads.

"I have talked with those who saw him far in the rear before we were come to Charlestown Neck, and there is one here who claims that he saw a grenadier seize the lad just before we were arrived within range of the _Glasgow's_ fire."

"What of Archie and Harvey?" I cried, instantly full of apprehension.

"Over yonder, not twenty paces away," and Hiram pointed across the field where were two hundred or more men fallen into the same sleep of exhaustion from which I had just awakened.

"Let's go to them," I said suiting the action to the words, and a few moments later the two lads, with slumber yet hanging heavily on their eyelids, were sitting bolt upright listening to me as I repeated Hiram's words.

"It will be a ticklish job to make our way into Boston town now while the enemy is so keenly on the alert," Archie said, as if there was no question in his mind but that we would set off without delay to do whatsoever we might to help our unfortunate comrade.

"Do you so much as fancy we might get into the town? Or, having smuggled our way through the lines, that we could remain there an hour without being detected?" I cried, amazed because my comrade had seemingly suggested such a perilous adventure.

"It matters little whether we can succeed or not, the attempt must be made," Archie said promptly, and I understood there was in his mind the thought that now had come the time when he might be able to show his willingness to aid a comrade, even as we had shown ours in his behalf.

I looked at Hiram, believing he would cry out against any such desperate hazard; but he remained silent as if agreeing with all Archie had said.

"Since the battle it stands to reason that the Britishers will keep a sharper watch then ever before," I said, determined at the outset to show all the dangers which were in the way of such an attempt as Archie had suggested. "Even though we succeeded in getting into the town, what could we accomplish, except it was possible to move about the streets freely? You know full well that within an hour after we show ourselves, some of the young Tories will spy us out, and there is no need for me to say what would happen then."

"I am willing to agree the chances are much against us," Archie replied, "and yet there is a possibility that by some lucky accident we could come across Silas. I realize what it is to be held prisoner by the lobster backs, and yet that which I suffered must be as nothing compared with his situation, for more than one of the Britishers know he fought desperately well. Perhaps the lad lies wounded, lacking attention, lacking nursing. Are we to stay here in safety?"

"I'm not saying aught against our doing all that is possible," was my hot retort; "but it is beyond reason to suppose we might help him even in the slightest degree."

"So most like you said when I was in prison, and yet by a singular combination of lucky accidents I was set free."

I understood full well that it would be useless for me to attempt further to combat the resolution which my comrade had already formed, and yet I could not bring myself to see in the two cases any likeness one to the other. The dullest among us knew in what frame of mind the Britishers must be after having been so nearly whipped by the "rag-tag"

of the colonies, and it was almost certain that the prisoners captured during the battle, or the retreat, would be guarded so closely as to prevent any such slight aid as we might be able to give.

What Harvey thought of the matter I could not guess. As we discussed it I fancied now he took sides with me, and again that he believed Archie to be in the right. As to Hiram, it was evident that any mad scheme which might be proposed would meet with his favorable attention.

If I could have seen the least ray of hope in such an enterprise, none would have been more eager than I; but to my mind there was not one chance in an hundred that we could even succeed in getting into the town, yet a word from Harvey caused me to become as eager as either Archie or Hiram to set about the apparently hopeless attempt.

"If there are but seven of our Minute Boys here in the encampment, it is the duty of those who have come out from the battle unscathed to learn the fate of the others. Who can say that the lobster backs may not have more than Silas in their clutches?"

It was much the same as if Harvey had said that I, as captain of the Minute Boys, was in duty bound to learn the fate of those who were absent, regardless of how much danger might be attached to such an effort, and from that instant I was ready, even showed eagerness, to undertake anything whatsoever which they should propose so long as it had reference to the missing members of our company.

It so chanced that my father pa.s.sed near at about this time, and I ran to have speech with him, explaining what my comrades would have me do, and why there was apparent reason for our making every effort to enter Boston town.

"It is not to be thought of," he cried sharply, before I was come to an end of the story. "There is no hope of your being able to aid the lad, if so be he is a prisoner; you would only be venturing your heads into the lion's mouth to no purpose."

"But we did succeed in rescuing Archie when it seemed impossible anything could be done," I insisted, ready to argue now that he had shut down upon the plan so decidedly.

"The situation was far different then. A battle had not been fought; the Britishers were not smarting under a sense of defeat, although most like they will speak of the action at Breed's hill as a victory, and now that we of the American army have shown ourselves able to cope with trained soldiers, every precaution will be taken against our spying upon their movements. It is a mad scheme, and the sooner you put it out of your mind the better."

But for the fact that Harvey had much the same as reminded me of my duty as captain of the Minute Boys, I would have allowed that my father's opinion settled the matter definitely; but as it was I believed duty demanded that I go as had been suggested, regardless of every danger.

None of my comrades asked any questions when I returned from the interview with my father. They had evidently read from the expression on his face, and the tone in which he spoke, although it had been impossible to hear the words, that he set his face against any movement of the kind, and I fancied the three were waiting to hear whether I counted to crawl back from the enterprise, therefore it was I said promptly:

"The attempt shall be made, and because of having been chosen captain of the company it is my duty to go, and go alone."

"Why alone?" Harvey asked.

"Because there is no reason why the lives of four Minute Boys be sacrificed. If there is any show of coming upon the lad, I may be able to aid him single-handed, and for all of us to venture into town would be increasing the chances of detection."

"You could not have released me single-handed," Archie cried, "however might have been your inclination, and therefore it is I shall go whether you are willing or not."

The other two were quite as decided in their intention to take part in the venture, and, realizing how useless it would be to make any effort at bringing about a change of opinion, I agreed that we would all go, even though believing that we were not warranted in so doing.

Once this matter had been settled Hiram seemed to consider himself the leader of our party, regardless of the fact that I had been chosen captain of the company, and straightway began to lay plans, thus showing, to my mind at least, that he had decided, even before awakening me, on some such scheme.

Had the matter been left to my decision, I would have held that our efforts at gaining the town must be made by water, either from Mystic river or Willis creek; but Hiram said in a tone which admitted of no argument:

"We'll go down the Cambridge to Muddy river in a skiff, and from there strike into Dorchester where we shall find a small body of our own troops."

"And also, where we'll be bottled up in great shape, for even you cannot believe there will be any chance of our getting past the British fortifications on Boston Neck," I said, believing I had found such a defect in his plan that he would not attempt to carry it out.

"I'm at a loss to see how we are bottled up any worse in Dorchester, than here, and because our people haven't been making many attempts to get into the town from that direction, I believe our best chance of success lies there. It is not absolutely necessary we attempt to go over the Neck; but it should be possible, on a dark night, to slip across in a boat from nearabout Nook's hill to some part of the town south of Windmill point."

"And what then?" I asked with no slight show of impatience, for it seemed as if there was mighty little of common sense in this plan of his by which we were to risk our necks.

"That's as far as we can get by laying out the work in advance. All the rest must come about through accident."

"But once in the town," I insisted, "how is it going to be possible for us to learn where the prisoner is confined, since we do not dare show ourselves in broad day?"

"There are yet people in Boston town who love the Cause?" Hiram said as if asking a question, and I contented myself with nodding, for it seemed much as if he would put me off with empty words.

"Aye," I replied, "most like hundreds of them."

"And you lads who have lived there should be able to find a hiding-place without going among those who might be suspected of harboring a rebel."

"I could go to twenty such places, and yet not be able to say how we would be able to provide ourselves with food while keeping under cover."

"Well then," and it seemed as if Hiram was losing his patience, "I cannot lay out for you in so many words a plan of work when so much depends upon accident; but if you will do whatsoever you may toward getting into the town, I believe there is a possibility of at least finding where Silas is imprisoned, and if so be we are not able to lend him any aid, I'm of the mind we can get out again no matter how alert the lobster backs may be."

"When would you set off?" I asked, speaking more sharply than was necessary.

"Within an hour," was the prompt reply.

"Does that please you, lads?" I asked, turning to Archie and Harvey, and they said "Yes," so emphatically that I could not put further obstacles in the way, save at the expense of setting myself down as being faint-hearted, or unwilling to venture into danger for the purpose of striving to release Silas.

It was then agreed among us that we should make such preparations as were possible, each lad getting ready for the work in hand as seemed to him best, and were to meet on the Common within the hour.

My preparations consisted chiefly in getting all in the shape of food possible. I did not believe we could make our way into Boston armed with muskets, therefore borrowed from an old sailor a pistol with a plentiful supply of ammunition, and bargained with a New Hamps.h.i.+re recruit for a knife which hung in a sheath attached to a belt, like that which is worn by seamen. Then I went to the rendezvous, being the first to arrive, and Hiram came up within a few moments.

He had prepared himself for this hazardous venture by procuring such an amount of rations as might serve one person two or three days. As for weapons, he had none, and when I asked him whether he did not believe it wise to make some provision for meeting an enemy suddenly, he replied that when he came upon a lobster back unawares it would be at such time and in such place as would shut off all chance of using firearms.

"My own two hands will be enough, so far as I am concerned. If we stumble upon a single lobster back other weapons will not be needed. In the event of meeting a squad, it would be folly to make any show of resistance."

I was rapidly losing my good opinion of Hiram's judgment. The first cause being his proposition to embark upon such a wild-goose chase, and the second, his intention to set off without providing himself with any means of defense.