The Minute Boys of Boston

by James Otis

  CHAPTER V

  SUSPICIOUS INFORMATION

  When Hiram and I came out at Lyn street, where it was possible to have aview of the ship-yard, we saw only two lads, one well over toward thepoint, and the other south of the pier, who were loitering aboutaimlessly as if they had nothing of importance with which to occupythemselves.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to ask Hiram if he had made a mistake inregard to the gathering of the Minute Boys, and then I realized thatSilas had taken the precaution to keep all the company out of sightexcept these two, who appeared to be standing watch.

  At that time, when the Britishers were suspicious of the "rebels," andGeneral Gage eager to find some cause of complaint whereby he might putin prison those who loved the colony, even a gathering of sixteen ladswould not have escaped rigid scrutiny by those who misruled in Boston,and the most imprudent thing we could have done, would have been to cometogether in the open air where any who passed might see us.

  "They are under the wharf?" I said questioningly to Hiram, and hereplied curtly:

  "Ay, your friend Silas told me they were to meet there," and then itseemed as if he was on the point of saying something more; but if suchhad been his intention he checked himself right suddenly, walkingsilently by my side until we were come to that point on the shore fromwhence we could look under the wharf.

  Silas stepped out as I came into view, and said in a whisper:

  "I have kept the lads out of sight lest some meddling lobster backshould report a dangerous gathering. Every fellow is present, and eagerto hear what you learned at Cambridge."

  "Have you not told them?" I asked in surprise.

  "I was not certain how far you cared to make public what had been saidat the encampment, and therefore held my peace regardless of theirquestions, promising that you would tell them the story in due time."

  As I look back now to that moment when was first assembled the companyof which I had been chosen captain, it seems passing strange I shouldhave made a blunder which was near akin to a crime, before having beenwith them five minutes. After the advice, repeated so many times by myfather and Doctor Warren, that I be prudent, it seems as if I showedmyself the thickest-headed lad in all the colony, else would I havebegun the business by keeping a closer tongue.

  Even while I was greeting the lads they cried out impatiently to knowwhat I had heard and seen in Cambridge, and I, like a simple, must needsrepeat parrot fashion all the instructions which had been given me, whencommon prudence would have dictated that I set the boys about gatheringinformation, without making known that we were much the same as detailedas spies.

  In my folly I even went so far as to lay plans how and when we mightbest leave the town to make report, and even gave a list of those towhom we should apply for skiffs.

  While my tongue ran loose I fancied Hiram moved uneasily about, as if hewould say something to me privately; but I, puffed up with pride becauseof taking upon myself for the first time command of the Minute Boys,gave no heed to him until I had stripped myself bare of information, sothat if, peradventure, there was a traitor among us he could go directto General Gage with a story of all that we proposed to do.

  Having finished the recital I asked if there were any who could giveinformation concerning Archie which had not already been made public,and one of the lads spoke up promptly, saying:

  "He is not so badly treated in prison, when you remember his father'sstanding among the Sons of Liberty, for instead of occupying a cell, heis locked in one of the small rooms near the end of the building."

  "Who told you that?" I asked, wondering how so much of information couldhave been come at by our lads, and he answered, pointing with hisfinger:

  "It was Seth Jepson told me."

  Wheeling about suddenly to face the lad whom I had suspected when it wasfirst proposed he be allowed to join the Minute Boys, I fancied therewas a look of uneasiness, almost of fear, upon his face, as if he hadjust realized the danger of having imparted too much information. Then,like a flash, there came upon me a great wave of self-reproach because Ihad spoken so freely concerning our plans. If Seth Jepson was inclinedto be a traitor, verily he had it now in his power to do us gravestinjury.

  "How did you learn so much regarding Archie?" I asked sharply. "Haveyou been allowed to visit the prison?"

  "It was Amos Nelson told me," Seth replied, and again I fancied I saw atroubled look come over his face.

  Because of blaming myself for having told all I knew, it was much as ifI strove at this time to make a scape-goat of some other.

  "Do you think it well," I asked sharply, "now that you have beenenrolled as a Minute Boy, promising to do whatsoever you may in behalfof the Cause, to hold converse with as rank a Tory lad as Amos Nelson?"

  "And why should I not?" he cried boldly. "Would you have me advertisethe fact that I am a member of this company by refusing to speak with aneighbor? For some reason, I know not what, Amos was taken into theprison, most like to work for the soldiers on duty there, and he sawArchie Hemming, or heard that the lad was locked up in the small room.It was no more than natural he should tell me the news, and I did notshut my ears to his words, believing it would be to the advantage of allhere if I learned as much as he knew."

  The lad spoke fairly, although, as I fancied, with too much of boldness,and just a spice of anger in his tones.

  I could find no fault, for of a verity he had learned that which mightbe of importance to us, and yet all the old suspicions that had been inmy heart came back with redoubled force, the stronger, perhaps, becauseI had put myself and my comrades so wholly in his power.

  The mischief was worked now, however, and the only course was for me todo what I might toward keeping, or having kept, a close watch on SethJepson, in the future holding my tongue in his presence as to what wewould do.

  To this end, and in the hope that it might be possible to take advantageof the information he had given, I proposed that a certain number oflads should loiter about the town to learn if there was anything newgoing on among the Britishers; afterward whispering to Silas that hesend with Seth one whom he could trust thoroughly well, in order to makecertain the lad held no communication with Amos Nelson.

  "I will do it," Silas replied; "but to what purpose? You have suspectedhim from the first, and yet allowed that he should hear what our peoplewant us to do."

  "And in talking so freely I showed myself a fool. Now I would, ifpossible, do what I can to remedy the evil."

  "All of which will be very little, because we cannot keep a spy atSeth's heels every hour, and when he has gone home for the night whatwill prevent him from having speech with Amos Nelson?"

  Then, as if not considering the matter of so much importance as I wouldmake it, Silas moved about among the company, suggesting that thiscouple go here and the other there, until he had sent away all save two,and these were lads whom he and I knew might not with truth be accusedof being other than loyal to the Cause.

  "Have you aught to say?" I asked when they made as if to draw near towhere Hiram and I were standing, and Silas said quickly:

  "It has been in my mind that we might send some of the company down nearthe prison to loiter there in the hope of gaining speech with Archie,if so be Seth Jepson's words are true."

  "I know where the room is, in which Amos Nelson declared he was held aprisoner," Harvey Pearson said. "If all that has been told us be true, Iwarrant you I can get word with him after the night has come, in case hemay be made to know that we are nearby for that purpose."

  "Then do you two lads attend to that matter. Silas shall look afterwhatsoever he thinks best, while Hiram Griffin and I set off to makecertain there will be no difficulty in getting skiffs."

  "I am thinking it will be well if I search for the boat you left on theshore near Fox hill," Silas suggested. "It may be I can bring her aroundto this place, and surely that would be of advantage, because we have nocraft of any kind, unless you succeed in getting one before nightfall."

  To
this I agreed, and soon Silas had set off, when Hiram and I were leftalone.

  "Well?" he said questioningly. "If you are satisfied with what has beendone this morning, and believe the Cause can be advantaged much by theMinute Boys, suppose we get our heads together to decide how I may beable to leave this town?"

  "Are you going away at once?" I asked in surprise, for although he hadnot so much as hinted he might stay a while with us, such a thought hadfound lodgment in my mind.

  "To what end should I stay?" he asked. "Surely a stranger like me can donothing in the way of playing the spy in a strange town, and I am of themind that there may be work for me in Cambridge."

  "I had hoped you would wait on some chance of being able to help us setArchie free," I said after a moment's hesitation.

  "An' that were true, I would loiter here till the month's end, giving noheed to what those in the encampment might think of my absence," hereplied heartily.

  "Then stay!" I cried. "Greater things than freeing a lad who is shut upin the cell of a prison, has been done by poorer tools than can be foundamong us Minute Boys. You shall lodge at my home, going and coming asbest pleases you."

  "I'll stay, lad," Hiram said promptly, "and am all the more willing todo so because it strikes me you need a deal of watching."

  I fancied it was possible to read in his face the thought which he hadin mind, and my cheeks were flaming red as I said in the tone of one whoadmits his error:

  "You believe I made a blunder in telling the lads all that the Committeeof Safety would have us do?"

  "It was more than a blunder, lad, unless you could answer for all ofyour comrades as you can for yourself. No harm would have come if youhad held your peace, simply telling them it was necessary you shouldknow all that was going on in order the better to guard against evil."

  "Instead of which I laid myself bare," I cried bitterly, "and at thesame time was suspicious of that lad, Seth Jepson. Not until he admittedgetting information concerning Archie from Amos Nelson, did I realize mymistake."

  "Well," Hiram said soothingly, "no good ever came of crying over spiltmilk. You must try to conjure up some plan for holding Seth Jepson insuch fashion that he will be harmless, or, if so much cannot be done,see to it he is kept ignorant as to what you would do."

  There was no reason why we should linger under the old wharf, and I waseager to be alone despite the fact that I craved Hiram's companionship,for it seemed as if I must work out some scheme by which it would bepossible to prevent Seth Jepson from playing us false.

  Therefore it was I led the way to my house, and said when we were cometo the door:

  "You are free here to do as you will; but I'm thinking it may be wiserif we two are not seen together overly much. I am counting on goingacross the Common with the idea of helping Silas, if he believes it safeto bring the boat around."

  "Never fear but what I'll look after myself," he said cheerily as heentered the house, and I went my way alone.

  Now it is not needed that I set down too many words in striving to tellthat which is of little importance. It will be as well if I pass overfour and twenty hours, and come to the afternoon of the day following mywoeful blunder.

  During that time many things had happened, and instead of our sendinginformation to Cambridge, great news had come from there to us in Bostonwho were loyal to the Cause.

  It was reported by one who had succeeded on entering the town by way ofthe Neck, despite all the vigilance of the guards there, that so manymen had arrived from all quarters to aid in opposing the king's troops,that no less than twenty thousand were then in the encampment, andGeneral Ward had taken command of what was really an army. IsraelPutnam had led thither a large number of volunteers from Connecticut;Colonel John Stark, of New Hampshire, was come with a great following,and the only trouble was lack of discipline and housing for so manypeople.

  General Ward had held a council of war with all the officers who hadbeen previously appointed by Congress, and it was decided that Boston bebesieged. Fancy! we of the colonies called "rebels" were makingpreparations, to the extent of having raised a large army, to take fromthe Britishers the town they had seized!

  It must have been that General Gage received the same news as had cometo us, for on the hour orders were issued that no person should beallowed to leave the town without a pass, and everyone caught whileattempting to depart would be imprisoned.

  The Tories themselves had begun to understand that our people might be apower in the land, for straightway two hundred of them were enrolled asa military company, with that arch traitor, Timothy Ruggles, as theircaptain.

  "It seems that the Minute Boys have nothing to do," I said bitterly toHiram Griffin when he and I came together at my home on the eveningafter the Tory company had paraded on the Common. "It is from Cambridgethat the important news is being sent, and we who are shut up here haveno word of news to tell."

  "It strikes me, lad, that you have already got quite a budget ofinformation which our people in Cambridge should hear. Mayhap it isalready known in the encampment that no one can leave Boston townwithout a permit, and it's also possible they know of the arming of theTories; but you who were assigned to the duty of gathering news shouldnot set yourselves down idly and say that it has already been madepublic."

  "Meaning that we should go our way carrying stale information at therisk of being arrested, and repeating what no one cares to hear?"

  "Ay, lad, that is exactly what I mean. You were not asked to seek thisor that; but to carry to Cambridge information of what was going on intown. It is for General Ward to say whether that which you bring him isof importance or no."

  "But it seems that we have other work on hand which should come first,"I said, having kept back a bit of news which I knew would startle him."Harvey Pearson succeeded this afternoon in seeing Archie--"

  "How did he get into the prison?"

  "There's no such good word as that. What I mean is that he attracted hisattention from the outside, and by dint of gestures, with a word hereand there, made him understand that at midnight, after the guard hasbeen changed, he will attempt to have speech with him."

  Hiram looked at me in surprise, as if not crediting all I told him, andthen, much as if dismissing the matter from his mind, he said:

  "If I were the captain of the Minute Boys of Boston, I should strive tosend a messenger to Cambridge this night. I myself have picked up suchbits of news as I believe General Ward would be pleased to hear."

  "But how can I go, when there is a chance of having word with Archieto-night?"

  "I fail to see any reason why you should in every case act as messenger'twixt here and Cambridge. Send some other of your company. It is truewe lost the boat in which you and I came, because of having left herwhere any blundering lobster back might stumble upon the craft; but yousaid this morning that it would be possible for us to get two smallskiffs at any time." Then he asked abruptly, "How high from the streetis the window of the room where your comrade is held prisoner?"

  "Not more than five or six feet," I replied, failing to understand; but,making no explanation, he rose quickly to his feet, clapping his hat onhis head as he said:

  "I'm off for a stroll. There are many things in this town I haven't seenas yet, and it would be a pity if I was suddenly called to Cambridgewithout having learned all that may be come at."

  He went out before I could stop him, and but for the fact that Silascame in immediately afterward, I might have followed to learn what Hiramwas about.

  As a matter of course, my comrade was all afire with the possibilitythat we might soon have speech with Archie, and would have explainedexactly how Harvey counted on bringing the matter about, had I not toldhim Hiram's opinion as to what should be done in the way of sendinginformation to the American encampment.

  Much to my surprise he pressed eagerly for permission to go asmessenger, saying that above all else he desired to see the encampmentso he might compare our troops with those under the command of GeneralGage,
and, knowing he could make the journey as well or even betterthan I, there was no reason in my mind why he should not undertake theventure.

  I must set down here the fact that from the time of our first meeting asMinute Boys, which is the same as saying during the past four and twentyhours, more than one of us had kept constant watch over Seth Jepsonwithout seeing aught to blame in him. It was possible, as a matter ofcourse, that he might have had speech with Amos Nelson; but we could notbelieve he had told the Tory cur all I had so foolishly divulged else,as Silas and I reasoned, we would have been brought before General Gageon some such serious charge as that of treason, unless perchance hecould make of our movements a more serious offence.

  Therefore it was that after we had decided Silas should go to theencampment with the information already gathered, I cautioned himagainst letting Seth have any suspicions of his intention, and hereplied confidently:

  "Leave the matter to me, Luke. I'll guarantee to get away without anyone's seeing me, and what is more, come back with a whole skin. I'm notsuch a simple as to give myself away to Seth, or any other lad, andtherefore it is I propose that at such time as best suits me, and inwhatsoever manner I please, to set off for the American camp 'twixt nowand midnight, keeping secret even from my mother how and when I count ongoing."

  It surprised me somewhat that he should be willing to go away at thevery time when we believed it possible to hold some communication withArchie; but, as I afterward learned, he had little faith we could getspeech with the lad, and was not without fear that one or more of usmight be taken into custody for loitering around the prison. To hiscredit I must say, however, that the desire to see the encampment was sogreat as to shut out all else from his mind.

  I went over with him all I believed it necessary to say to whosoever heshould come upon in Cambridge, understanding that if I neglectedanything of importance those whom he met would question him so closelyas to bring from his lips all he had heard and seen.

  "I have been keeping my eye on Seth Jepson since yesterday, whenever itcould be done handily, and advise you to do the same," he said as hewent out of the house, refusing to divulge anything whatsoeverconcerning his plans for the night.

  With his words in mind I also went out into the street, counting ongoing to Dock square, thence past the prison and near the governor'shouse, with my ears open to catch any word which might be let drop bythe lobster backs, and my eyes strained to get a glimpse of the lad Isuspected.

  Before having come to Union street, however, I fell afoul of HiramGriffin, who looked so well content with himself that I could notrefrain from asking what good fortune had befallen him, as if therecould be anything good for us who loved the Cause and yet remained inBoston town.

  "I have been taking a squint at the prison where I'm told your comradeis held, and am come to believe that unless these 'ere Britishers aremuch like weasels, it won't be such a hard thing to get him out of thatscrape."

  "What?" I cried in amaze and delight.

  "There, there, lad, I allow I'm a good deal like you were yesterday,letting my tongue run away with me. What I counted on saying wassomething much after this fashion: If we could have a cloudy night, or,better still, a stormy one, and if so be he understood to what end wemight be working; and in case we could get across the town after havingpulled him out, without being overhauled by lobster back or patrol, whythen there would be a chance, and such an one as would tempt me to makea try for it, you lads helping, as a matter of course."

  "And shall it be done to-night?" I cried eagerly, thinking Hiram wasminded to go about the task at once.

  "If everything had happened as I've laid out, then we might start atonce; but according to the looks of things this night is likely to be afair one, while we are needing darkness. Pulling your comrade out fromthe clutches of the Britishers isn't such an easy task that you canbegin it whenever you are feeling so disposed. Let him know what's inour minds, and be ready to help himself when the time comes to suit us.What about sending word to Cambridge?"

  I told him all my conversation with Silas, and it appeared to please himgreatly that the lad was not willing to explain how he counted on going.

  "He'll turn the trick all right? When you find a boy who can be cautiousto the extent of holding his tongue even among friends, it may be setdown as a fact that he won't come to grief, unless meeting with thedirest kind of an accident. Which reminds me that it wouldn't be a badidea for you to overlook the doings of that same Seth Jepson."

  "What of him?" I cried in dismay, fearing to hear ill news.

  "Nothing that I can be certain of, lad, save that I saw him chummingwith a couple of lobster backs down at the dock, and it strikes me theywere amazingly friendly with a lad of his size, for he's not one a manwould take to naturally--an honest man I mean."

  "I will go after him at once; but there is little chance of learninganything, for if he is minded to play the traitor he'll keep a stilltongue in his head when I overhaul him."

  "Go your way, lad," Hiram said as if he pitied me because I fancied itwould be possible to convict a traitor out of his own mouth. "I amminded to have speech with Silas Brownrigg before he sets off forCambridge, and am allowing there is a chance of finding him at home nowwhile it is yet day."

  Then Hiram Griffin left me suddenly, as if it was dangerous to be seenspeaking with me on the street, and I walked slowly toward Dock square,asking myself how I might so trap Seth Jepson as to prove that he wasplaying us foul, while at the same time I questioned whether there was apossibility we could free the dear lad who lay eating his heart out inprison.