CHAPTER IV

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THE ENEMY.

It did not take me very long to realize that I was making a simple of myself, by feeling disturbed in mind because we had chanced to meet Luther Stedman and his big friend at the beginning of our voyage.

The fact that we lads had not been called on as witnesses since we delivered our prisoners to the military authorities, was good proof that there was little or no evidence against Luther and his friend, save that which Abe and I could have given, and this last would not have gone far toward convicting them of any serious crime.

Thinking the matter over as I sat near Abel Grant gazing at the skiff astern, I came to the conclusion that the two young Tories had simply been held prisoners until it was positive they could not give important information, and were then discharged. Thus at liberty, it was by no means strange that we should run across them, for the waters of the harbor were as free to Tory as to Whig, and it did not stand to reason they would remain under cover mourning because we had so successfully blocked their game.

“There’s no good reason why you should trouble your head about those two,” Abel Grant said, motioning with his thumb toward the distant skiff. “They’ll hug home pretty close while our people hold New York, an’ we are likely to be in the lower bay for quite a spell, because this business of ours won’t be brought to an end very soon, no matter how much of news we come across.”

“I’m not troublin’ myself,” I replied, trying to appear unconcerned. “It was only because they showed themselves at the exact moment when we were startin’ on what may be a dangerous enterprise, that I felt a bit disagreeable.”

“If sich as that is all we have to bother us betwixt now an’ the time we make New York agin, I shall think we’re playin’ in the biggest kind of big luck,” he replied in a low tone, and I added nervously:

“Is it in your mind that we are likely to meet with many dangers?”

“That is a question you can answer as well as I. Does it strike you as bein’ child’s play to spy on the British fleet, when we know without bein’ told that every man jack of ’em will be on the lookout for sich as us?”

“What are you two mutterin’ about?” Abe, who was seated well forward, asked with a laugh. “One would think, Eph, that you had seen a ghost, by the whitenin’ of your face when Luther Stedman hove in sight.”

I was vexed beyond measure because of evidently having given proof that a glimpse of the Tory disturbed me, and said curtly:

“Your eyes must have been playin’ tricks, if you fancied there was any change in my face when the cur came in sight. I was wonderin’ why he had been set free, that’s all.”

Abe laughed incredulously as I made this explanation, which did not tend to improve my temper, therefore I turned squarely around on the thwart so that he might not be able to look into my eyes, and in so doing saw, much to my surprise, that the skiff which had been headed for New York, was now coming directly in our wake.

Sam took note of the fact at the same moment, and cried shrilly:

“It begins to look as if already was our mission discovered! Yonder Tories have it in mind to know where we are goin’.”

Now it was Abel Grant’s turn to look disturbed, and he swung the tiller up ever so slightly, as he said half to himself:

“I reckon we’re not in such a hurry that we can’t spend a few hours puttin’ them curs off the scent. There’s no question but that they are minded to know where we’re headin’ for, an’ we’ll run into Gowanus creek as if not countin’ on goin’ any further. I’m allowin’ though, that we’d better not try to put any of the stores ashore.”

I was well content to consider Abel as the admiral, for I knew beyond a peradventure that he was a better leader than I could ever hope to be at a time like this, and to tell the truth, this seeming pursuit at the very outset, caused me to be more timorous than was decent in a commander of Minute Boys, even though his following numbered only three.

The skiff followed until we swung around into Gowanus creek, and then the Tories lay back on their oars to see what we were about.

“We’re needin’ a few clams for bait,” Abel Grant said as he gave word for the anchor to be dropped and the jib hauled down. “The tide don’t serve exceedin’ well for sich work, but fishermen must take what they can get an’ look pleasant about it. Into the punt, all three of you; I’ll keep ship.”

We obeyed the order hurriedly, and Abel added in a low tone when he saw me looking over my shoulder at those in the skiff:

“It’s clams you’re after, not Tories, lad. This is no time to let ’em see we’re suspicious, else we might as well have kept on through the Narrows.”

During the next half-hour we labored with a will, as if our very existence depended upon getting the greatest amount of clams in the shortest possible space of time, and then Abel, who had for some time been standing in the stern-sheets gazing in the direction of the town, cried cheerily:

“I reckon you may come aboard now, lads, for those curs who would serve the king but don’t dare to put on red coats, are headin’ for Bowling Green. We’ve shut their eyes for a few hours; but can count it as certain that they’ll make it their business to know if we come back within a reasonable length of time.”

“Which is the same as sayin’ that it will soon be known to the king’s friends in New York that we have gone out spyin’,” Abe added grimly, and without any show of fear.

“Wa’al, that’s not so certain. You’ve been through the Narrows before to-day in this sloop, an’ why shouldn’t you go agin? The Tories may have suspicions, but can’t set anythin’ down against us as a fact, though I’m willin’ to admit that they have a fair chance to make no end of trouble.”

We had dug near to a barrel of clams while waiting to throw Luther Stedman off the track, and surely it was not time wasted if we would play the part of fishermen, for to go through the Narrows without a goodly supply of bait would have been folly.

It was well that we had been forced to lay by in such manner, and the young Tories had really done us a favor, as we soon came to know, after getting into Gravesend bay shortly before sunset, for there before us, stretching away as far as the eye could reach, was the British fleet. I thought I had seen a brave showing of vessels before, but now it was as if all the ships in the world lay at anchor ’twixt us and Sandy Hook.

“It looks as if the friends of the king counted on takin’ New York in a hurry!” Abe cried after gazing at the wondrous scene a few moments in silence. “There must be men enough aboard that fleet to over-run all the colonies, crushin’ us out of existence by very press of numbers.”

“Ay, lad, an’ it begins to look as if Luther Stedman an’ his friends would have a chance to crow over us mighty soon,” Abel Grant said in a mournful tone. “There were few except Tories on Long Island yesterday, and now, after seein’ this gatherin’, I’m allowin’ you can’t find above twenty men there who’ll admit they ever believed the Americans had a right to the land.”

To me, it was as if New York was already taken, for I had no question but that it could be only a matter of a few hours before our people would be captured or driven out, and I asked nervously:

“Why don’t you put about, Abel Grant? We should be able to run up with this wind, before daylight to-morrow.”

“Why would you have us turn tail before beginnin’ the work cut out for our doin’?” the “admiral” asked as if in surprise.

“We must tell General Putnam of what we have seen. We were to put back, or send some one of the company whenever we had learned aught of importance, an’ of a verity a sight like that is of big moment to him.”

“Did you think for a little minute that he didn’t know the fleet was there?” Abel asked with a grin. “How does it happen that he sent us down to spy out the strength, if he hadn’t a fairly good idee of what was hereabout?”

“But surely he couldn’t have known how many ships were here, else it would have been of retreat rather than spyin’, that had a place in his mind.”

“You can set it down as a fact that he knew even more than we do now, an’ I shall be way out of my reckonin’ if our forces run away without makin’ some show of a stand. Don’t get it inter your head that all these are ships of war! I can make out transports an’ store-ships more than enough to balance the vessels of the navy. ’Cordin’ to the orders received, I’m of the mind that we should stand straight down to the Hook, if so be they let us get that far, takin’ careful note of the guns that may be brought to bear on the city.”

It only needed this sharp speech from Abel Grant to bring me to my senses, and in a twinkling I understood that what he said was true. But now I began to have a good idea of what General Putnam had meant, when he spoke of the danger which we would encounter. There it was before us, good and plenty, and I was forced to swallow hard in order to force down the big lump which timorousness had sent into my throat as we stood on, heading directly for the biggest frigate.

“Don’t be afraid to look at ’em,” the “admiral” said in a whisper, although we were not yet come within earshot of the sentries. “If we were here to fish, an’ nothin’ more, it is only natural that our eyes would be bulgin’ in surprise, for I question if so big a fleet ever before has been seen in these waters.”

Without Abel Grant I am afraid our cruise would have come to a sudden end, for verily I was not fit to act the part of leader when before me was such a force of the enemy, and one glance at Sam was sufficient to show that he believed the Minute Boys were getting beyond their depth. Abraham Decker was the only member of our company, with the exception of Abel Grant, who did not appear frightened, and I made up my mind then and there that if we ever succeeded in returning from this venture, he, not me, should be the captain of our party.

However, I had sufficient wit remaining to stare about me like a simple, as the “admiral” had suggested, and we bore down on the frigate at a snail’s pace, for the wind had flattened out considerably, while the tide was against us.

We were nearly abreast the enormous vessel with her row upon row of ports, from each of which protruded a gun, before the enemy apparently gave any heed to us, and then we were hailed from the quarter-deck by some petty officer.

“Ahoy on the sloop!”

“Ay, ay, sir!” Abel Grant replied with a more pronounced drawl than ever.

“Sheer in this way and give an account of yourselves!”

“I don’t allow as we’ve got very much of a story to tell,” Abel replied as he brought the sloop around ever so slightly; “but you shall hear what there is of it, if so be you’re achin’ for news.”

“Where are you bound?” the officer asked while we were slowly drifting down on the frigate’s quarter.

“After bluefish, sir.”

“What have you in the cockpit?” the Britisher asked curiously.

“Clams for bait.”

“Make ready to send them up.”

“Why we couldn’t do that, sir, seein’s how we ain’t got more’n we’ll need for bait,” Abel cried as if in alarm, and playing the simple so well that the most suspicious must have been deceived.

“Make ready to send them up, do you hear?” the officer cried sharply, and Abel, as if flustered by this stern command, danced around like one who has lost his senses as he gave this order and that to us lads, none of which could have been obeyed even if we had understood them.

“You’ll have to send down a bag, if you count on takin’ what we’ve got, sir.” Abel whined. “We haven’t a blessed thing here to put ’em into.”

The Britisher said something in a low tone to the half dozen grinning sailors who were craning their heads over the rail amidships, and by the time we had come alongside to where was hanging a ladder, two bags had been thrown aboard.

“Gather ’em up,” Abel said to us as if his heart was breaking. “I’m allowin’ the gentlemen will pay a fair price for the clams; but we won’t have a chance to get any more till the tide turns, which will keep us down here another four an’ twenty hours.”

“You’re fortunate if we don’t seize the whole outfit, instead of only a beggarly lot of clams,” the Britisher said angrily. “If I hear anything more about a price for them, you shall come aboard to wait till we can find out more about your craft.”

It surely seemed as if this threat deprived Abel Grant of what little wit he had remaining, for he jumped around like a crazy man, helping us to gather the clams into the bags, as if believing his very life depended upon getting them aboard the frigate quickly.

“Now be off with you,” the officer said when we had sent the full bags aboard, “and if you get fresh fish, come alongside when you go home. What’s doing in New York?”

“I can’t say, sir, seein’s I don’t live there, an’ a big place like that ain’t for poor fishermen, except when they’ve got a cargo to sell.”

“Where do you live?”

“Nearabout Gowanus creek on Long Island.”

[Illustration: “‘NEARABOUT GOWANUS CREEK ON LONG ISLAND.’”]

We had already cast off from the frigate and were slipping slowly past her by the time this reply was given, and only then did I draw a natural breath, for it seemed certain we would be ordered aboard as prisoners.

We were hailed by the ship astern, and before a question could be asked, Abel Grant shouted at the full strength of his lungs, as if trying to give the information to all the craft in the bay:

“We’re bound outside fishin’, an’ haven’t got any clams, ’cause the man on that ’ere craft took all we had without ever payin’ a cent for ’em!”

A roar of laughter went up from every ship within sound of his voice, and we were not ordered alongside another vessel until after getting well down into the lower bay. Owing to the fact of our moving so slowly, it was possible to take careful note of every craft, and I had recovered somewhat from my timorousness on seeing that the transports and store-ships outnumbered the armed vessels as six to one. But the number of red-coats we saw! I dare venture to say we passed thousands before going half the distance to the Hook, and yet there were more transports ahead of us.

“It’s only a question of their takin’ New York when they get ready,” I said in a whisper to Abel Grant, for I had so far mastered my fears by this time that it was possible to face the situation with some degree of calmness, and he replied in the same cautious tone:

“There’ll be a deal of blood shed before that’s done, lad, else General Putnam never’d sent us down here spyin’. I wish we had a couple more hours of daylight.”

“Why?”

“So we could run past the whole fleet before sendin’ word back.”

“Do you allow that we have information enough yet?”

“It ain’t so much our news, as the fact that somebody must get away mighty soon, else the general stands a chance of never hearin’ from his spies!”

“What do you mean?” I asked in surprise, for Abel had spoken in so grave a tone that I knew he had some very serious matter in his mind.

“The bad luck came for us when that whipper-snapper of a Britisher took it inter his head to seize our clams--”

“But we can easily get more when the tide turns,” I interrupted.

“Ay, lad, I ain’t distressin’ myself over that part of it; but the mischief was done when we ran alongside the frigate. Now I’m allowin’ that Luther Stedman an’ his fat friend will make it their business to find out whether we went home after clammin’ in Gowanus creek, an’ by this time they’re makin’ up their minds to bring word down here that we’re a crew of the hottest kind of Whigs. In case I’m right, what craft would they be likely to board first?”

“Why the frigate, of course, for she’s at the head of the line, an’ nearest the town.”

“Right you are, lad, an’ havin’ had speech with that clam-lovin’ Britisher, it won’t work his brain very hard to guess all about us. Then you can make up your mind that a boat or two will be sent out to round us up as prisoners, consequently I’m allowin’ that one of this ’ere party best try to work back while there’s time.”

“An’ are you countin’ that we shall all be taken prisoners?” I asked, my voice trembling despite every effort to render it steady.

“Not much I don’t!” was the emphatic reply. “There’s a big difference ’twixt bein’ pulled up with a sharp turn by some of these ’ere Britishers, an’ gettin’ back to the town. Unless they set to work mighty soon, I’ll agree to keep out’er their clutches for quite a spell; but won’t agree that we can send word to New York whenever we feel like it. I’m allowin’, in case we’re left to do as we please, to haul in behind Coney Island when we get there, which is only what any honest fisherman would be likely to do.”

Abe and Sam could not but overhear what had been said, and because they took the matter so quietly I fancied both had realized the situation some time before, while I, who was supposed to be the leader, had been the only one who failed to understand what was before us.

“I’m reckonin’ we can carry a good bit of news back,” Abel Grant said thoughtfully. “We’ve had a fairly full view of the whole show, an’ should be able to say about how many guns there are in the fleet. Now if we could make a reasonable guess as to where they might be countin’ on makin’ a landin’, the first part of our job would be done in decent shape.”

“Don’t you suppose they will sail directly up to the town?” I asked in surprise, for I was so thick-headed as to fancy such a fleet and army could do very nearly what they pleased.

“The Britishers ain’t quite sich fools as to think our people can be walked over without kickin’ up any fuss, an’ you’ll see that they go kind’er cautious. Of course they’re likely to land somewhere on Long Island, an’ I’d give one of my ears to say where to a certainty,” and Abel Grant rubbed his chin as if by so doing he could the more readily solve the problem.

“Who is to go back with word of what we have seen?” Abraham asked after a brief time of silence.

“It seems to me that Abel ought to be the messenger.”

“That’s where you’re way out of your reckonin’,” the “admiral” replied quickly and hotly. “I’m in charge of this ’ere fleet, an’ it never’d do to desert my post. Eph can’t leave, seein’s he’s commander of the land forces, so, ’cordin’ to my figgerin’, it lays ’twixt Abe an’ Sam.”

I felt confident they would be glad of an opportunity to get away from the trouble that must come to us in case Abel Grant was in the right as to what Luther Stedman and his big friend might do; but much to my surprise both the lads wanted to stay, and if anything had been needed to prevent me from showing the white feather, it would have been the discussion that ensued as to which was entitled to remain in the place of danger.

“I’m allowin’ that whoever is to go, leaves as soon after we come to anchor as he can get ashore,” Abel Grant said, interrupting the wordy quarrel between the boys. “You’ll never be able to settle the matter yourselves, without comin’ to blows, so s’posen you let Ephraim name the messenger?”

“I wouldn’t be willing to do that,” and I did not really feel as if I had the right to do so.

“Then it’ll be a case of drawin’ lots, so’s to have everythin’ ready for a quick move,” Abel announced, and to this I agreed as the only fair plan, whereupon Abraham said with considerable show of irritation, as if believing it was really his right to stay by the sloop:

“Let Eph take a couple of splinters, one longer than the other, an’ he who draws the shortest shall stay behind. I’m not minded to worry over this thing a great while, so s’pose you get to work.”

I went into the cabin, where I might make ready for the drawing without chance of being seen, and when the two fragments of wood were secure in my hand, with no sign about them to show which was the shortest, I came into the cockpit, when Abraham said:

“I would rather cut off one of my fingers than set out for New York while there’s a chance that they who are left behind may be in big danger, yet you shall make the first choice, Sam, an’ I’ll abide by the result without a whimper.”

“I’m no more keen to go than are you; but we can’t squabble over it all day, so here goes,” and, without seeming to look at the bits of wood, Sam drew out one from my hand.

Then I showed the other, and Abe gave a great cry of joy, for Sam held that one which was a full inch longer than the other.

“There’s no use cryin’ over spilled milk,” Abel Grant said, as if he would comfort the disconsolate looking Sam. “If it’s danger you’re hankerin’ for, I’m allowin’ that he who goes will run up against it plenty and hard, for who’s to say that Luther Stedman, burnin’ to get square because of your deliverin’ him up as a prisoner, won’t guess that, since it’s likely we’ve come here as spies, this same move will be made. It wouldn’t need that a man should be overly bright to come to that conclusion, an’ you can make up your mind he’d try to cut the messenger off. Besides, with this ’ere fleet so close at hand, the Tories on the island will make matters hot for any Whig who comes their way.”

Sam’s face brightened as the matter was thus presented, and even before Abel Grant ceased speaking I came to believe that the messenger might be in even more danger than we whom he left behind, for we could put to sea if necessary to avoid capture, while he must trust wholly to his own legs.

Now that the decision had been made Abel Grant called Sam aft, and pointed out to him this frigate or that sloop-of-war, urging that he so fix in his mind the general appearance of the fleet that he could set before the general a fair idea of what he had seen, and all the while we were drawing nearer and nearer to the lee of Coney Island.

By this time we were so far from the Britishers that there was little chance of being overhauled while we appeared to be honest fishermen seeking a harbor for the night, and it seemed certain that for twelve hours at least we might count on doing very much as pleased us.

During all the time we were running in under the lee of the land Abel Grant continued to talk with Sam, impressing on his mind that portion of the scene which would seem of the most importance to General Putnam, and immediately the anchor had been let go, with the sloop less than fifty yards from the shore, the “admiral” hauled the punt alongside.

“Get hard-tack enough to stay your stomach till mornin’, Sam, an’ then you’ll be where it’ll be possible to get food in plenty, or else you won’t be needin’ overly much.”

It seemed to me a brutal way of reminding the lad that there was danger in plenty before him, yet Sam appeared pleased rather than otherwise that his task was to be beset with difficulty, and said hurriedly, while stowing the biscuit under his shirt where they would not hamper his movements:

“Allowin’ that I get to New York all right, I shall come straight back here as soon as the general can be told of what we’ve seen, so keep a sharp lookout for me, in case you’re cruisin’ nearby. I’ll show some kind of a signal, if possible; but you can count to a dead certainty that I’ll be here inside of three days if I’m alive an’ at liberty.”

Then the plucky fellow stepped over the rail into the punt, and Abel Grant paddled him ashore without giving us time to say a word of farewell.

Night had fully shut in when the “admiral” came over the rail again, and Abe and I were in the cabin overhauling the generous supply of stores in order to break our long fast.

“Goin’ it kind’er strong, eh?” Abel said with a laugh as he saw how much we had laid out for supper. “It strikes me that you’ve got enough there for a full company of Minute Boys.”

“We may as well live high while we can, for there’s no tellin’ how soon all this stuff will be taken aboard one of the Britishers,” Abe replied grimly. “Why did you hurry Sam off so fast? A few minutes more or less couldn’t have made any great difference.”

“It wasn’t the time I wanted to save, but the words,” Abel Grant said gravely. “You lads are mixin’ yourselves up in real war, when the lives of an hundred, or even a thousand men don’t count very heavy, an’ it ain’t a good plan to talk overly much in the way of sayin’ good-bye when a fellow is headin’ for a hornet’s nest.”

“We’re the ones who are nearest the hornet’s nest,” Abe said with a laugh.

“We shall be after Luther Stedman does his work; but for the next four an’ twenty hours Sam has got the ticklish job. There ain’t a Tory on Long Island who don’t know his father for the hottest kind of a Whig, an’, seein’ Sam come from this direction, it won’t be a very far call to set down his exact business. I only hope he’ll pull through all right, an’ he’s the most foolish kind of a fool if he tries to come back.”

Such talk as this was not calculated to make me feel any stouter in mind, and I hastened to change the subject by proposing that the “admiral” fry some salt pork, while I boiled potatoes. Then we squabbled over what should be cooked, finding it difficult amid our plenty to make a selection, until it was almost as if we had forgotten Sam, who was toiling through the underbrush on his way across the island.

It was a veritable feast we had that evening, and we ate like lads who have nothing to fear, trifling with the food after the edge had been taken from our appetites, to the end that we might remain longer over the meal; but it could not be prolonged beyond a certain time, and then came the question of turning in for the night.

Abel Grant insisted on going ashore to have a look seaward before going to sleep, and while he was doing so Abe and I sat in the cabain silent and motionless, each intent on his own thoughts, which were none of the cheeriest.

“There’s nothin’ to be seen more’n when we dropped anchor,” Master Grant reported when he came aboard after an absence of ten minutes or less, “an’ I didn’t expect that there would be; but we can’t afford to shut our eyes altogether. You lads had better turn in, and I’ll call you in time to stand your share of the watch.”

“What is the need of all that?” I asked irritably, for it seemed much like an excess of precaution while we were so near the shore.

“If I could tell you to a certainty, lad, there wouldn’t be a call for any one to stay awake. It’s to guard against what we know nothin’ about, that the trick’s to be done, so turn in while you may.”

It seemed to me that I should never be able to close my eyes in slumber while danger was so near at hand, and yet I dare venture to say that within ten minutes I was sleeping as peacefully and as noisily as Abraham.

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