Commodore Barney's Young Spies Part 17

"That's what I've been thinking'. Of course it don't stand to reason you can stay here a great many hours."

"I must be off before daylight, an' am countin' on your tellin' me where."

"What do you know about the Britishers?"

"Considerable which has been picked up from the marines who've been on duty aft. There won't be any move made for two or three days, an' then they're goin' to strike Was.h.i.+ngton an' Baltimore at the same time. Sir Peter Parker goes to our home, an' Captain Gordon will run up the Potomac. Leastways, that's what we of the gun-deck have heard, an' you know that what leaks through the sentries is most generally to be counted on."

"Ever been up the Patuxent river?" Darius asked abruptly.

"Only two or three times."

"Well that's where you ought'er be, tellin' the commodore all you know, an' if the three of you agree, here's a plan we'll try."

Darius looked at Jerry and me as he spoke, therefore I understood that we were counted as two of the three to whom he referred.

"I'm agreeable to anythin' you figger out, Darius," Bill Jepson said as he wrung the water from his scanty clothing.

"Well then, Amos an' Jerry shall take you in the canoe, an' start for Nottingham within the next ten minutes. Since they left to look for you I've been fixin' up a sail for the craft, an' with a breeze like this you ought'er be well across the Potomac by sunrise."

"Don't you need the lads with you?" Jepson asked as Jerry and I looked at each other in surprise, and, perhaps, displeasure.

"Yes; but not so much as I need to hear from the commodore after he knows what you've got to say."

"The Britishers are certain to search this craft 'twixt now an'

to-morrow night, an' seein' the canoe is gone, may smell a rat," the deserter suggested.

"I reckoned all that in with my figgerin'. If you start for the Patuxent river I shall run over to the Delaware sh.o.r.e an' pick up a boat somewhere."

"They knew how much of a crew you had when the oyster bargain was made."

"Well, what if the boys went ash.o.r.e to go home for a couple of days?

That yarn will go down, I reckon, an' if it don't I'll have to take the chances for the sake of gettin' you to Joshua Barney as soon as it can be done."

Darius had evidently considered the plan well, and I understood that nothing would turn him from it unless one of us flatly refused to carry it into execution, which, considering all the importance of getting information to the commodore, I was not prepared to do. At the same time, the idea of going back to Nottingham in no better craft than our canoe, was by no means to my liking.

"If you've got it worked out, Darius Thorpe, an' allow it should be done, I'm ready," Bill Jepson said, "an' it ain't noways strange that I should be willin' to jump at anythin', considerin' I'm like to go to the yard-arm if captured now."

The old man looked inquiringly at Jerry, and my partner said slowly much as if not being exactly certain what he thought of the scheme:

"I'm willin' to go if it so be you want to keep the pungy here; but 'cordin' to my way of thinkin' the chances are against our gettin'

there in the canoe."

"You can do it if the wind don't breeze up, an' it ain't likely to at this time of the year." Then, as if considering the question settled absolutely, Darius cried out to Jim, "Have you stowed everythin' in the canoe?"

"Ay, sir, an' I've taken all the provisions for them, so we'll be left to suck our thumbs when we get right hungry."

Darius not only planned the journey while we were absent; but had gone ahead with the preparations as if advised in advance that we would agree to it.

"Well, there was no use in hanging back, since the thing must be done, and I had sense enough to know that if we were going to make the venture the sooner it was begun the better chance we had for succeeding, therefore I went over the rail into the canoe, where I found a small sprit-sail, a package of food, and one musket with powder and b.a.l.l.s sufficient for two or three charges.

"We've done the best we could by you, lad," Darius called out as he saw me examining the cargo. "You'll soon be where you can lay in a good supply."

"Yes, if we don't go to the bottom first," I replied just a trifle sharply, whereat Darius replied with a laugh:

"I'll trust you for that part of the business. Bill Jepson should be a master hand with a paddle, an' take it all in all, you're bound to push ahead right fast."

"How are we to find you again?" Jerry asked.

"The commodore will attend to that part of it. We'll stay here foolin'

around as agreed upon, for a week--unless we get important news before then--, an' if you haven't shown up I'll allow that Joshua Barney set you about other business."

Jerry and Bill Jepson took their places in the canoe, the latter stepping the small spar to which the bit of canvas was rigged, and as I ran a paddle out over the stern to take the place of a rudder, I was astonished at feeling that the little craft was making remarkably good headway.

Almost at the same moment we started, the pungy was hauled around for the Delaware sh.o.r.e, and in less than five minutes she was lost to view in the darkness.

"How is she doin'?" the old sailor asked as he leaned over to watch the rush of water along the side.

"Better than we could shove her with the paddles," I replied, not feeling overly inclined to talk very much.

"Then I can't see but that everything is as smooth as grease, an'

what's better'n all else, we're leavin' the bloomin' Britishers astern in a way to make my heart glad. The wind is likely to increase before it lessens, so we'll be a good bit on our way by sunrise."

"Ay," Jerry said grimly; "but if you've lived in Baltimore you know what the mouth of the Potomac is when the breeze comes strong, an' I don't allow that this canoe would make any too good weather of it in a heavy sea."

"She should be able to do it all right," Jepson said carelessly, and then he set about filling a pipe he had borrowed from Darius, as if there was nothing in the world to cause him trouble.

After he had lighted the tobacco he must needs ply us with questions regarding Joshua Barney, to which we could make no very satisfactory replies because of our ignorance; but he seemed to think it his duty to keep a conversation going, regardless of the fact that both Jerry and I showed plainly our disinclination to do very much tongue-wagging.

When an hour had pa.s.sed, and the canoe was walking along in right smart style, surprising me by her performance under sail, for I had never supposed she could be used in such fas.h.i.+on, Bill Jepson said suddenly:

"Look here, what's the use of all hands standin' watch? Give me the paddle, an' I'll steer while you lads get a bit of sleep. I'll call you when its time to take your trick at the helm."

At first I was inclined to hold my place; but thought differently when I saw Jerry curling himself up in the bow for a nap, and gave the paddle to the sailor, saying as I did so:

"I don't count on sleeping very long; but if you should come up to the Potomac before I turn out, it would be a good idea to call me."

"I reckon you think that because I'm a deep-water sailor I ain't fit to be trusted with one of these Chesapeake c.o.c.kle sh.e.l.ls; but bless your heart, lad, I've always knocked about in 'em, an' you shall see that I'll handle you tenderly enough."

I laid down in the bottom of the boat, under the thwarts, and contrived to make myself so comfortable that in less than five minutes I was sleeping soundly.

When next I became conscious of anything there was at least two inches of water under my back, and the spray was coming over the starboard side at a rate that threatened speedily to founder the little craft.

Jerry, being in the bow which stood higher out of the water, had not been disturbed.

"What's the matter?" I asked in alarm, crawling out from under the thwarts with no little difficulty.

"Matter? Nothin' as I knows of," Bill Jepson said as if surprised that I should have asked such a question. "What made you think anything was wrong?"