The Minute Boys of Boston Part 24

Silas brought with him his musket, and more of powder and ball than he could comfortably carry during a long march, while Archie had only a knife, which was better adapted for the cutting of food than defending his life.

Thus it was that we had with us a musket, a pistol and two knives, together with as much in the way of provisions as would serve the four of us two days.

"We are well outfitted," I said, intending to speak in a tone of irony.

"And now let's set off without delay, for the less time we have in which to consider the chances against success, the better will be my courage."

Hiram gave no heed to my disagreeable tone, but at once led the way toward the river, and then it was we came to understand he had made other arrangements for the journey than those of simply supplying himself with provisions.

He brought us to where a skiff was hauled up on the sh.o.r.e, and from appearances one would have said she had but lately been put in that position, for two pair of oars laid ready at hand, while in the stern-sheets were three or four blankets.

Hiram launched her, motioning for us to take our places, and when Archie asked at what hour he had thus made preparations for the voyage, he replied laughingly:

"A great deal may be done in a few minutes, and it so happened that more than half of my work in getting possession of this skiff, had been done before I awakened Luke Wright."

"But at that time you did not know if we would set out in the hope of aiding Silas," I cried, whereupon he added in a business-like tone:

"True for you; but I was mighty certain that I should go, even though none other agreed to bear me company."

"And you were also decided that your plan should be carried out," Harvey said with a laugh.

"Aye, because if you lads had agreed upon getting into the town by the same route as you have been doing, I should have set off by myself."

It vexed me not a little that Hiram had gone through the form of consulting us when he was already determined on what he would do and how it should be done; but no good could come from my giving words to such thoughts, and I held my peace.

Hiram and Harvey worked the oars. I made myself as comfortable as possible in the stern-sheets, while Archie perforce remained in the bow of the craft in order that he might, as Griffin expressed it, "trim s.h.i.+p."

We went rapidly down past the two breastworks known as "number one" and "number two" without having been hailed by those on sh.o.r.e, and indeed there was no good reason why our people should interfere with any who were so far up the river.

Near to nightfall, however, when we were come to that three-gun battery which stood just above where Fort Brookline was afterward built, the sentinel made peremptory demand that we come on sh.o.r.e and give an account of ourselves.

"This is work for you to do, since you are the captain," Hiram said to me, and I retorted:

"I may be the captain of the Minute Boys, but I am surely not the leader of this expedition. If there is any question raised here against our continuing the voyage, you are the one who must answer it."

"That can be done in short order," Hiram replied laughingly as, swinging the bow of the boat around until it was stuck fast in the mud, he leaped ash.o.r.e with the bearing of one who sets about some trifling task.

There was almost a hope in my mind that we might be prevented from going further on our hazardous venture, but when in less than ten minutes Hiram returned, looking as if he had never known a care in his life, I understood that either by making a clean breast of the matter, or by inventing some plausible reason for our leaving Cambridge, he had satisfied the officer in command of the battery.

It was long past midnight when we were arrived at the mouth of the river, and since there was no good reason why we should strive to come to an end of our journey a few hours sooner or later, we hauled the skiff ash.o.r.e where grew a thicket of bushes, such as would conceal us from view of any who might pa.s.s either by land or water.

After the skiff was pulled up within the screen of foliage, Hiram spread out two of the blankets to protect us from the damp earth, and the others he proposed we should use as a covering of what he was pleased to call a "field bed."

Then we sat ourselves down to partake of food for the first time since leaving the encampment, and I noted with no little anxiety that if we continued to have such appet.i.tes during the next four and twenty hours, our store of food would be sadly diminished.

Despite my forebodings as to the outcome of this hazard, I fell asleep shortly after stretching myself out at full length between Archie and Harvey, nor did I awaken until Hiram shook me into consciousness, saying that the sun would rise in half an hour, and we should be well on our journey before the heat of the day had grown too great.

CHAPTER XII

IN BOSTON TOWN

It seemed as if Hiram grew bolder the nearer we advanced to the point of danger, for instead of going up Muddy river and from thence making our way across to Dorchester through Roxbury, as had been much the same as agreed upon the night previous, he put straight for Stony brook, and, hugging the eastern sh.o.r.e of the point, we made our way along until having come to the American outpost, arriving there about nightfall.

Here we had no difficulty in making ourselves known, owing to the fortunate circ.u.mstance that the captain who was in command at that time had seen us Minute Boys and Hiram more than once at Cambridge, therefore was he ready to welcome us in as hearty a manner as possible, sparing not his stores so that we might husband what little food we had brought from the encampment.

As a matter of course he was curious to know where we were bound, and when he asked questions concerning our purpose we lads would have put him off with evasive replies, believing Hiram desired to keep secret that which we would do, therefore was our surprise great when Griffin made a clean breast of the whole scheme, even going into details so far as lay in his power.

It seemed to me only natural the captain would cry out against such a hair-brained scheme, and so he did, speaking forcefully to the effect that while it was possible we might succeed, when all the circ.u.mstances were favorable, in sneaking past the red-coated sentinels, he was confident we would be made prisoners within four and twenty hours after arriving in town.

I rather encouraged him in his outcry against the venture, believing his opinion would have no little weight with Hiram; but it was much the same as pouring water on a duck's back, to argue against what our leader had already set his mind upon.

He listened to all the captain said, making no reply, and when the conversation had come to an end I believe of a verity he was more determined in his purpose than before.

"Are you still bound to find out what a British prison is like?" the captain asked just a trifle petulantly when he was come to an end of his remonstrances.

"We are not minded that they shall take us prisoners; but at the same time we are going into Boston, and if in all that town, where yet remain many who love the Cause, we cannot succeed in hiding ourselves past reasonable danger of being found, then do we deserve to be shut up within stone walls."

When Hiram had said this the captain looked at him pityingly, as I thought, and made reply:

"He who is pig-headed will go his way despite all that others can say to the contrary, therefore I but waste my breath in striving to point out the dangers which are known better by me, than by you lads."

With this he turned on his heels, leaving us to eat our supper, and when he was out of earshot Hiram said as if the captain's sharp words had pleased him not a little:

"I have known many who didn't have sufficient of pig-headedness in their nature, and we saw some of them in the battle; but, thank G.o.d! they were mighty few!"

All of which meant, as I interpreted it, that our leader had been strengthened in his purpose rather than weakened.

Well, we remained at the outpost all night, and by break of day set off on the highway for Dorchester, where we came upon more of our troops, and were forced to spend no little time explaining why we desired to continue on to Nook's hill.

Here, as at the Roxbury outpost, we were given much advice which I considered good, for it was to the effect that we go back to Cambridge rather than sacrifice our liberty, perhaps our lives, in what was little less than an act of folly.

You can fancy that these words had as little effect on Hiram as had the advice of the captain in Roxbury, and on we tramped until coming to where the highway ended in a pasture, when we turned sharply to the westward. On this last course we were headed for the sh.o.r.e, and, having arrived there, followed the line of the coast to a small gun-battery, nearby which was a block-house for the shelter of the men who were in charge of that apology for a fortification.

Here we found no one who could vouch for our loyalty to the Cause, and it was difficult to convince the lieutenant in charge that we were true Americans, for he failed utterly of understanding why, if we would serve the Cause, it was our intent to sacrifice ourselves.

However, before night had come Hiram succeeded in making the officer understand that we had told him no more than the truth, for it seemed that this lieutenant came from Concord, and Griffin was intimately acquainted with many of his friends.

When he found that it was not possible to turn us back, he set about doing all he could to further what he called "the mad plan," and to that end agreed that when everything was in favor of our making an attempt to enter Boston, meaning on the first cloudy or stormy night, he would provide us with a skiff. He also directed us to an old man who lived at Windmill point, by name of Job Lord, whom he declared would do for us all within his power, and insisted that we might trust him as we would our own fathers.

We remained with these soldiers four days, during which time even Hiram saw no fair opportunity to cross over into the town, and meanwhile we were eating our hearts out with impatience. As has already been said, too often, perhaps, I did not favor the plan, but yet before a suitable night came I was eager to be about the undertaking, for anything was better than remaining there twirling our thumbs, and it seemed certain that each day we lingered rendered it more difficult for us to come at Silas.

Then, near about sundown on a certain afternoon, clouds began to gather in the sky. There was a promise of rain in the southerly wind, and before darkness had fully come we saw to it that our skiff was made ready for the short journey; that the oars were m.u.f.fled, and that such provisions as the men at the battery could spare, were bestowed among our clothing in such a way as would least hamper us in case we were forced to depend upon our heels for safety.

The men, whom we had come to know right well during our long stay, bade us "good bye" as if believing we would never meet again, and so solemn was the leave-taking that much of my eagerness to forward the venture was dispelled.