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THE MINUTE BOYS OF YORK TOWN
AMERICAN HISTORY STORIES FOR BOYS
_THE MINUTE BOY SERIES_
By Edward Stratemeyer and James Otis
The Minute Boys of Lexington The Minute Boys of Bunker Hill The Minute Boys of the Green Mountains The Minute Boys of the Mohawk Valley The Minute Boys of the Wyoming Valley
_THE MEXICAN WAR SERIES_
By Capt. Ralph Bonehill
For the Liberty of Texas With Taylor on the Rio Grande Under Scott in Mexico
DANA ESTES & COMPANYPublishersEstes Press, Summer St., Boston
"IT WAS A SIGHT WELL CALCULATED TO STIR THE BLOOD OF ABOY FROM VIRGINIA."]
THE MINUTE BOYS OF YORK TOWN
JAMES OTIS
Author of "The Minute Boys of Long Island," The "Minute Boys of Wyoming Valley," "Boys of '98," "Teddy and Carrots," "Boys of Fort Schuyler," "Under the Liberty Tree," etc., etc.
_Illustrated by_
L. J. BRIDGMAN
BOSTONDANA ESTES & COMPANYPUBLISHERS
_Copyright, 1912_BY DANA ESTES & COMPANY
_All rights reserved_
THE MINUTE BOYS OF YORK TOWN
PRESS OFTHE VAIL-BALLOU CO.BINGHAMTON, N. Y.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. TWO YOUNG VIRGINIANS 11
II. SILVER HEELS 30
III. UNCLE 'RASMUS'S ADVICE 49
IV. THE TOWN OF YORK 70
V. OUR PRISONER 89
VI. A DISAGREEABLE SURPRISE 109
VII. MORGAN, THE SPY 128
VIII. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SAUL 147
IX. SUSPENSE 166
X. NEWS OF SAUL 185
XI. A DESPERATE VENTURE 205
XII. SAUL'S OPPORTUNITY 223
XIII. THE SIEGE 240
XIV. AN UGLY SITUATION 258
XV. FORAGING 276
XVI. PREPARATIONS FOR FLIGHT 294
XVII. OUR BLUNDER 310
XVIII. TRAPPED 329
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
"IT WAS A SIGHT WELL CALCULATED TO STIR THE BLOOD OF A BOY FROM VIRGINIA" (_Page 227_) _Frontispiece_
"THAT WE MIGHT PEER BETWEEN THE LEAVES" 26
"HE ... TOUCHED HIS HAT IN REGULAR MILITARY SALUTE" 76
"I SPRANG FORWARD" 90
"WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST WARNING I FOUND MYSELF IN THE CLUTCHES OF A MAN" 119
"HALT, OR I'LL FIRE!" 138
THE RELEASE OF SAUL OGDEN 233
"A GENERAL DISCHARGE ... WAS COMMENCED BY THE AMERICANS" 289
THE MINUTE BOYS OF YORK TOWN
CHAPTER I
TWO YOUNG VIRGINIANS
When Uncle 'Rasmus loses his temper because of some prank which we ladsof James Town may have played upon him, he always says that no good canever come of that in which "chillun an' women are mixed."
It had never entered my mind that there was in such a remark any causefor anger on my part, until that day when Saul Ogden repeated it,shaking his head dolefully as Uncle 'Rasmus always did, and speaking inthe negro dialect so faithfully that one, not seeing him, might wellhave supposed his skin was black.
Of course you remember the engagement at Spencer's Ordinary, which placeis the same as if I had said Spencer's Tavern, on the 26th of June inthe year of Grace 1781, when Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe of the Queen'sRangers, and Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton with his Legion of Horse, beganto "prance" around here, as Uncle 'Rasmus would put it, and weVirginians were disturbed in more ways than one.
There were a number of our people who would have been loyal to the kingif Governor Dunmore had not written himself down such a consummate ass,and many even at this time whose sympathies were all with the strugglingcolonists, but who yet hoped matters could be settled without loss ofhonor to either side, meaning that the so-called rebels and his majestymight come together in friendship once more.
But when this "prancing" began; when Colonel Tarleton rode rough-shodover our people of Virginia without seeming to understand the meaning ofthe word "humanity," then it was that even those who had hoped againsthope that the colonies might remain in peace and harmony with the mothercountry, began to realize it was no longer possible.
It had required five long, weary years, during which our Americans inthe North had borne nearly all the brunt of this struggle against theking, and I dare not say how much of friendship, to persuade those fewin Virginia who strove to hold some shred of loyalty to the king, thatthe time had come when they must take sides with those who had the bestinterests of the country at heart, no longer looking to royalty forrelief.
Saul Ogden is my cousin, being but three days younger than I, who was,in August of 1781, just turned fifteen, and although it may seem strangeto the lads of New England that we two Virginians knew so littleconcerning what was being done in this America of ours, it is true thatuntil the engagement at Spencer's Ordinary there had never been athought in our minds that we might be called upon, or that it would bepossible for us to take any part in the bloody struggle which had beenprolonged until it seemed of a verity that the people of New York andBoston must have come to an end of all their resources, so far asstruggling against the king's soldiers was concerned.
It is true Saul and I had heard now and then that even boys inMassachusetts and in New York were enrolled, or had agreed amongthemselves, to act as Minute Boys, ready to do whatsoever they might, atany time, regardless of all things else save the proving of thatDeclaration of Independence to the satisfaction of the whole wide world.
It was on the day before the action at Spencer's Ordinary that I,Fitzroy Hamilton, and Saul, my cousin, met for the first time a littleFrench lad by name of Pierre Laurens, who had come up from New Orleanswith his widowed mother to visit at my home, after having spent a summerin Boston.
A companionable sort of a lad was this little French boy who waved hishands and shrugged his shoulders when he talked, as if they were in someway connected with his tongue; one who was able to tell many anentertaining story, and who had seen so much of this land of Americathat it was to Saul and me as if he was some great traveler, while wewere only two country louts, never having strayed a dozen miles fromhome.
It is not of Pierre whom I have set myself down to tell; but it wasnecessary I should refer to him in order that you might understand howwe two lads of James Town, who seldom went away from the plantation saveto ride into the settlement, and whose longest journey had been from theJames to the York river across that neck where one may best arrive atYork Town, came to know that we might serve the Cause as Minute Boys.
It was little Frenchie who took it upon himself to tell us what heknew, he having met several lads in Boston who called themselves MinuteBoys. He held up before Saul and me pictures of the duty we owed ourhomes, as if we Virginians needed to be taught our duty, and painted inglowing colors the honor and glory which was to be won by those lads whostood ever ready to perform the work o
f Minute Boys, until we were quiteaflame with the idea.
I doubt much, however, whether anything would have come of it had it notbeen for that same engagement at Spencer's Ordinary, whenLieutenant-Colonel Simcoe, counting to ride over the Pennsylvania menunder Colonel Butler as he had ridden over us Virginians, found much tohis displeasure that it was not always possible for his high mightinessto do exactly as he wished.
Do not get the idea that I intend to make it appear as if the king'stroops were worsted at Spencer's Tavern; but it was a drawn battle, as Ihave heard even those who really loved the king, admit, and it must havebeen a startling surprise to the swaggering Simcoe to have received evena check.
It was only natural that after this engagement Saul and I, egged on byPierre, should talk quite seriously of forming a company of Minute Boys;but no sooner would we begin, and I strive to point out how we might dothis thing or that which would advantage our colony of Virginia, thanSaul would break in with the saying of Uncle 'Rasmus's, that where"chillun an' women were mixed" matters went awry.
Yet despite my cousin's seeming scorn, Pierre continued to urge that weenroll ourselves as Minute Boys, and when Saul asked irritably whetherhe believed any good would come to the Cause if only three lads werebanded together, agreeing to do whatsoever they might, thereby, as youcan see, throwing cold water on the scheme, Pierre, his hands waving andhis shoulders shrugged nearly to his ears, would insist again and againthat if no more than three should set themselves about striving to dosomething in aid of those who were battling against the king, much ofgood might be accomplished.
Then Saul, without really meaning to be unkind, would cry out thatColonel Simcoe had better have a care when our company of three VirginiaMinute Boys set out on the war-path, and while his friendly scornfretted me now and then, it did not distress Pierre in the least.
I say it did not distress him, and yet I may be mistaken, for after Saulhad repeated Uncle 'Rasmus's maxim, and spoken sneeringly of the fearwhich a company of Minute Boys numbering three might produce throughoutthe colony, little Frenchie said, waving his hands as if to brush mycousin aside:
"Oh, well, if you are afraid, then it would not be of avail even thoughyou had a company of twenty."
"Afraid!" Saul cried, the red blood flushing his face as he advancedalmost threateningly toward the little fellow from New Orleans. "Do youdare come here and tell a Virginian that he is afraid of any person whowalks this earth even though he wear a crown?"
"I did not say you _were_ afraid," Pierre replied sweetly, stillshrugging his shoulders and waving his hands. "I said _if_ you wereafraid, then it would not do for you to talk of being a Minute Boy. Itis only those lads in the colonies who dare do this or dare do that, whocould be of value to the Cause."
Now it is just possible little Frenchie was irritated when he made thisreply; but however it came about, certain it is from that moment Saulceased to throw cold water upon the plan of raising a company of MinuteBoys, and no longer quoted Uncle 'Rasmus, or spoke scornfully of whatmight be accomplished, yet at the same time he was not enthusiasticabout it until after that sixth of July, when at Green Spring plantationthe British under my Lord Cornwallis met the Americans commanded byGeneral Lafayette, the king's troops getting much the best of thebattle.
I had thought Saul might strive to get even with Pierre by pointing outthat the young French general was defeated where an American might havebeen victorious; but no, he held his peace concerning the nationality ofthe commander of the army, and seemed all afire with a desire to dosomething with his own hands that should be of benefit to the Cause.
He insisted we form ourselves into a company of Minute Boys at once,even though there were but three of us, claiming even as little Frenchiehad claimed days and days before, that it might be possible even for sosmall a number to accomplish considerable of good, and promising that asthe time went by we would be able to add to our numbers.
And thus it was that Saul and I, two Virginia lads, joined with Pierre,a Frenchie, to form a company of Minute Boys in aid of the Cause ofLiberty, and even went so far, after agreeing among ourselves that wewere to stand by each other so long as life should last, to write aletter to Master Patrick Henry telling him of what we had done andoffering our services, much the same as if they might be of great value.
The strangest part of all, as it seemed to me, was that Master Henry didactually answer the letter which Saul wrote; did really speak of us asif it might be possible that we do somewhat of good to the Cause, andcommending us for coming together in such a fashion. It was much as ifhe believed he was writing to three men of importance in Virginia, whocould do this, or do that, according to their will, instead of threelads who had hardly ever, with the exception of Pierre, ventured off theHamilton plantation.
I questioned seriously whether Master Henry really understood Saul'sletter; if he was aware of the fact that we were lads only just turnedfifteen, and argued that he must have read the missive so hurriedly thathe thought three influential planters, if you please, who may formerlyhave been luke-warm to the Cause, were now turned about ready to dowhatsoever they might.
Had Saul and I been alone I could have convinced my cousin that I was inthe right; but little Frenchie must needs start up, insisting thatMaster Henry knew to whom he was writing; that a great man like MasterPatrick Henry would not read a letter which, if it had come from men,was of importance, so hurriedly as not to understand who had written it.He argued from all this, that our calling ourselves Minute Boys, eventhough we might not succeed in doing much that would advantage thecolony, was of moment even in the eyes of so able a man as he who hadbeen governor of Virginia.
I must say this for Pierre, that when he starts out to convince you of amatter there is in his manner and his voice such winning qualities, thateven though at the outset you were positive he was in the wrong, beforemany minutes had passed you were saying to yourself that all his wordswere true, all his beliefs noble, and all that he would do exactlyright.
It was one thing to call ourselves Minute Boys; to write to GovernorHenry and to be praised by him, and quite another matter to be able todo anything whatsoever in aid of the Cause.
It is true that we did not go far afield in search of opportunities, andfor the very good reason that we knew not where to go. Between our townof James and the village of York we knew our way as well as we didthrough the pantry to that jar of cake which Aunt Dinah always kept sowell filled; but beyond that it was all a strange world to us, sostrange that we doubted whether we might make our way even so far asBaltimore without writing ourselves down as the veriest country louts.
Then came that day when my Lord Cornwallis led his red-coated men intoJames Town itself, and we found ourselves not only surrounded by thesesoldiers of the king, but literally over-run by them. So high and mightywas his majesty's officer that he quartered his soldiers here, there, orin the other place, at whatsoever house pleased his fancy, insistingthat we Virginians who claimed we had the right to break off from themother country, should take care of those who had come to shoot usdown.
Then of a verity did it seem to me the time had come when we Minute Boysmight do something, and I said as much to Saul and Pierre.
My cousin held his peace, looking around eagerly as if striving to seehere or there some opportunity, while little Frenchie shrugged hisshoulders as if the matter was of little consequence to him, and I,irritated by his movements, taunted him with being a coward, saying itwas all very well for him, while the British soldiers were at adistance, to talk loudly about forming a company of Minute Boys, butinstantly the enemy were come within reach he was well content to liedown at their feet.
I was ashamed of myself even as I spoke, and looked to see Pierre flyinto a rage; but, instead, he shrugged his little shoulders yet higher,advising that I go back into the stable yard where Uncle 'Rasmus, withthe hounds around him, was sunning himself, and there take advice fromthe old negro who claimed that where "chillun an' women were mixed" nogood could come.
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"And to what end should I take advice from Uncle 'Rasmus?" I cried in arage, whereupon Pierre, waving his hands with the palms uppermost, saidin a most friendly way:
"To the end, my dear Fitz, that you may come to understand there is atime for work and a time for remaining idle; that he who wouldaccomplish something does not set out upon a task which, even beforebeginning it, he knows to be impossible."
"All of which means what?" Saul demanded, and I understood that thelad's heart was heavy, for within the hour he had been crowded againstthe wall, and a red-coated captain of the Foot had shaken him soundlybecause he did not give way to the swaggerers who had come into Virginiato teach us manners.
"All of which means that the time will come when we shall be able to dosomething to please even your Governor Henry," Pierre said sulkily, andthen turned away, himself to take counsel of Uncle 'Rasmus, leaving Sauland me gazing into each other's faces like a couple of simples, until mycousin said with a mirthless laugh:
"I am beginning to believe, Fitz, that little Frenchie has more in hishead than ever you or I can hope to find in ours."
It was the first time I had ever heard him suggest that Pierre was wisebeyond his years. In fact, he had always looked upon the little fellowas a pleasant companion, and I had believed that I was more than hisequal when it came to such tasks as Minute Boys should do. I had set itdown in my mind that when the time for real work arrived, if it everdid, it would be Saul and I who would do credit to our town of James.
My Lord Cornwallis did not linger at James Town; but continued on downthe river until he was come to Portsmouth, having stopped meanwhile onthe way to "give Lafayette a lesson," as some of our Tory neighborssuggested.
Then, as you very well know, it began to appear as if this valiantofficer, who represented the king in Virginia, was beginning to getuneasy because the young French general was pressing him rather warmly,and continued what was well nigh a retreat until that first day ofSeptember in the year of Grace 1781, when he entered York Town, andimmediately began to fortify the settlements of York and Gloucester asif counting to make there a permanent abiding place.
It never occurred to me that my Lord Cornwallis had really beaten aretreat before the Americans, and was now come to where he must have aidfrom New York or from overseas in order to get out from what was muchlike a trap, until Uncle 'Rasmus, when we lads were gathered about himin the stable-yard, said, shaking his grey head as he chewedmeditatively on a straw:
"It kind 'er 'pears to me, chillun, like as ef dat yere Britisher what'sflutterin' 'roun' ober York way wid his hosses, an' his guns, an' hisshinin' sword, was heapin' up a sight ob misery for hisself."
"But surely, Uncle 'Rasmus, after the engagement at Green Spring, youcan't believe it would be possible for the French general to do him anyharm?" Saul cried, surprised by the old negro's words, which seemed muchlike a prophecy.
"I ain' sayin', chile, dat de French gin'ral is gwine for to hurt deBritishers so berry much; but it kind'er 'pears to me dis erway: You seedey's come down yere to de jumpin'-off place, an' dere ain' much chancefor 'em to get away 'cept dey goes by water. Now I'se done hear datdere's a power ob French vessels hangin' 'roun' off de Capes, des likeas if dey was waitin' to swaller up de red-coated gen'men."
"If he can't get away by water he'll go back by land," Saul suggested,and Uncle 'Rasmus shook his head mournfully, as if it pained him tobelieve that my Lord Cornwallis had come into a veritable trap.
"What 'bout dat yere Virginia gen'man dey's got up Norf--what 'boutGin'ral Washington? Do you count, chillun, de's gwine for ter lay stockstill when he's got de chance ob nabbin' all dis yere stuff what dey'lows b'longs to de king? Ef it was some ob yere po' wuffless Northerntrash what was runnin' dis yere war for de people ob America, den itmight be dat Lord Cornwallis was gwine to turn 'roun' slap when he donegot ready. But mark you, chillun, it's one ob our Virginia gen'men datslookin' after tings. He knows de lan' 'roun' erbout; kase why? Kase he'sbin here, chillun; he's bin right on dis yere plantation, an' he knowsdat when you strikes de town ob York you'se got to be sumfin like aflea, able to hop a mighty big hop."
"Even suppose my Lord Cornwallis does beat back the Americans who areled by one of my countrymen; he might find it very difficult to breakthrough their ranks, if he wanted to go back toward Richmond by the sameway he came," Pierre said with a wave of the hand which I never hope tofully describe, for there was ever much of feeling in his gestures.
We remained there in the stable yard until the sun was low in thewestern sky, discussing the situation with Uncle 'Rasmus as our oracle.It is true we lads could not speak intelligently upon military matters,and as I look back now upon that day, I realize how much of folly therewas in our words; but our hearts were nigh to bursting with the desireto do something toward ridding our colony of Virginia of thoseswaggering, insolent, red-coated men, all of whom we believed to bequite as brutal as Colonel Tarleton and his followers.
The result of that afternoon's conversation with Uncle 'Rasmus, if suchit can be called, was that we three lads decided to go over to YorkTown, and see for ourselves how the Britishers were disposed there, andwhat they had done in the way of throwing up fortifications, for wordhad come through the negroes that not only the town of York, butGloucester also, was being fortified thoroughly well.
It is not above eight miles from our plantation to the town of York, andwe counted to ride there and back before the next noon, until Uncle'Rasmus, as if terrified by such a proposition, insisted that we oughtnever even think of trusting the horses so near the British encampment.He told us what we very speedily came to know was true, that theseservants of the king would not hesitate to despoil us Virginians whomight be accused of what they were pleased to term disloyalty, even tothe extent of taking from us our lives.
I could not then believe the old negro was talking other than veriestnonsense; but before another week had passed I came to understand alltoo well that we of Virginia who were called rebels, had no rights whichthese red-coated gentry were bound to respect.
It seemed fortunate that Uncle 'Rasmus succeeded in convincing us itwould be in the highest degree dangerous to ride good saddle horses, andthere were none other on the Hamilton plantation, within the Britishlines at York Town, and finally we agreed among ourselves, so eager hadwe grown to know what was being done by my Lord Cornwallis, to walkthere and back. It would not be a severe journey, for we might count ongoing and returning between sunrise and sunset, and yet not exertourselves overly much.
It is not necessary I should set down anything concerning our movementsfrom the time we parted with Uncle 'Rasmus, until next morning, an hourafter sunrise, when we were come within view of York Town, having walkedat a rapid pace, for even though it was yet early in September, therewas a bit of frost in the air which induced one to move rapidly lest hebecome chilled.
It was when we were come so near the end of our journey, that we sawahead of us, less than a quarter of a mile away, Horry Sims, who livedon the old Livingston plantation, three miles above my home, and heappeared to be talking earnestly with a mounted officer who was incommand of mayhap a dozen men.
Now Horry Sims was a lad who might fairly have been called a friend ofmine, because we had had no angry words together such as could notreadily be wiped out; but since two or three years neither Saul nor Ichummed very much with the lad. It was believed, and with good cause,that his father yet remained loyal to the king, and was not only readyto make a display of love for his majesty; but appeared so willing toshow disloyalty to his neighbors that it almost amounted to eagerness.
Uncle 'Rasmus declared again and again that Master Sims had had a handin whatsoever of mischief had been done in Virginia, and perhaps Sauland I might have believed the old negro had he not set down so much ofevil to the account of Horry's father that it was impossible one mancould have compassed it all.
Certain it is, however, we had come to look upon Master Sims as a rankTory, and, fancying his son might hold the views of
his father, we twolads, meaning Saul and me, had kept away from him, not in the way ofenmity, but rather to avoid the lad, although we treated him fairly whenhe came where we were.
After all we believed we knew, it should not have seemed strange to usthat Horry Sims was talking in an apparently friendly fashion with thisofficer in his majesty's service, yet we were surprised, for now wascome the time, if he felt so disposed, when it was possible for him todo much of harm to his neighbors, and on the instant I stepped asidefrom the highway that I might be screened by the bushes, beckoning mycompanions to do the same.
We had thus hidden ourselves from view of those who were ahead of us, asI believed, before they came to know that we were in the vicinity, andSaul, thinking that now was the time when we might do Minute-Boy duty,whispered to me:
"Shall we creep among the shrubbery until we are come where it ispossible to hear the conversation of those beyond?"
Before I could make reply, little Frenchie, shrugging his shoulders,whispered:
"How far think you, it would be possible to go without being overheardby some of those who wear red coats? If it was night, or if yonder menwere deaf, then might you do it."
"It is certain they would hear you before you were where it could bepossible to distinguish a word of the conversation," I said in reply toSaul's suggestion, and he was seemingly satisfied that such would be thecase, for instead of making any attempt at an argument, he crept moreclosely to my side, pulling Pierre with him until we three, in order tohold in view that group of red, in the midst of which was Horry Sims,were forced to part the foliage with our hands that we might peerbetween the leaves.
Perhaps our suspicions of the lad prompted us to see more than reallywas presented; but certain it is I fancied that the officer, who wasmounted, plied Horry with questions, to which the lad replied as if itgave him pleasure to impart information. I also suspected they weresaying somewhat concerning our plantation, for now and again Horrypointed in the direction of my home, and the foot soldiers looked backas if fancying they might see the buildings in the distance, all ofwhich was the more real to me because betwixt where we stood and theHamilton plantation there was no other dwelling.
We remained there in hiding a full half hour, and then it appeared to meas if the officer and Horry Sims parted in friendly fashion, the lad tocontinue on toward York Town, and the officer and his men to march inour direction, as if counting to follow back on our trail.
As a matter of course there was nothing we lads could do save remain inhiding, trusting that our whereabouts would not be discovered, for,although we had been doing no harm, if a servant of his majesty shouldcome to understand that we three lads were striving to keep out ofsight, he might take it into his thick head to fancy we were bent onmischief.
In those days it was only needed that an officer in the service of theking should have a suspicion, in order to straightway plunge intodifficulties that person toward whom the suspicions were directed.
We held ourselves in cover, therefore, and I confess to a sense of mostprofound relief when the squad continued on without giving heed to thepossibility that there had been witnesses to the meeting with HorrySims.
"THAT WE MIGHT PEER BETWEEN THE LEAVES."]
"Now it is only for us to know where those gentlemen with the red coatsmay be going," little Frenchie said, shrugging his shoulders as we cameout from the bushes and turned our faces in the direction from which wehad just come, whereupon Saul asked hotly:
"Are you not for York Town? Have your legs grown weary with walkingthree or four miles?"
"The town of York will remain where it is yet many a day, and I dareventure to say my Lord Cornwallis will not take his departure suddenly,therefore shall we have plenty of time in which to look at the Britishencampment," Pierre replied, retracing his steps as if he had no carewhether we followed.
"But why go back?" I cried impatiently. "Of what avail for us to followthat squad, who are most likely out foraging?"
"I have seen soldiers nearabout New Orleans, therefore do I know thatwhen foragers go out they take with them huge wagons to bring back suchas may be found. Those who have just passed are empty-handed, save formuskets, and never one of them carried his full complement ofaccoutrements."
"Well, suppose he doesn't?" Saul asked sulkily, but yet following littleFrenchie nevertheless, for there was something about the lad whichcaused you to do that which pleased him whether it was to your liking ornot.
"Then it must be they are out on some special duty," Pierre continued,"and I am of the mind that we shall find more amusement in watchingthem, than if we follow on the heels of your Tory friend who seems alsoto count on visiting York Town."
Whether Pierre had any suspicions of what might be afoot, I cannot say;but certain it is he pressed forward, striving to accommodate his pacewith that of the soldiers, so that he might not come directly on theirheels, and Saul and I, inwardly angry with ourselves for thus copyingthe movements of the little lad from New Orleans, kept well alongsidehim till we had covered a distance of mayhap a mile, when my cousinsuddenly halted, saying almost angrily:
"We are showing ourselves simples in thus turning back simply because asquad of British soldiers have gone ahead!"
"Yet those same gentlemen who wear red coats are marching in thedirection of the Hamilton plantation," little Frenchie said with anothershrug of his shoulders and a wave of his hands, as if to intimate thatthere was very much more which he might say, and I, understandingsomewhat of the gesture, cried out impatiently:
"Why do you say that? What have they to do on the Hamilton plantation?"
"It is that which I would learn," Pierre replied. "It is what I believeit would be better for us to see than if we wandered through the Britishencampment at York Town."
Until that instant I had never fancied my father's property might be inany danger from the king's men. True it is that he was known as onedevoted to the cause of liberty; but thus far the war had been at such adistance from us that we had seen little of its horrors, and for thefirst time I began to realize there might be somewhat of mischiefafoot, therefore pressed forward hotly, Pierre holding me back from timeto time lest we overtake the soldiers.
The Britishers must have walked more rapidly than we fancied, for whenfinally we were come within view of my home, we saw riding out from thestable-yard, each man mounted and more than one with a led-horse by hisside, all the company that had passed us on the road, and the animalswhich they rode and led were horses belonging to my father! Yea, amongthem Saul's mare and my own favorite colt, which I cherished as thedearest thing on earth next to my mother!
"What does it mean?" I cried, speaking with difficulty because of thatseeming lump in my throat, and little Frenchie, shrugging his shouldersin a manner that set every nerve in my body aquiver, replied as if itwas a matter of small moment:
"They have been to the Hamilton plantation in order to get mounts forthe officers of my Lord Cornwallis's army, and from this on your coltwill carry a burly Englishman bedecked with gilt lace and red cloth,instead of the lad who loves her so dearly."