The Minute Boys of Boston

by James Otis

  CHAPTER XIV

  THE SECRET PASSAGE

  Fortunately for us all the casks save two were unheaded, and these wefilled in short order, for it can well be supposed that every one workedwith utmost speed, not knowing how soon Job Lord might take it into hishead to return.

  Once filled, they were placed in front of the rubbish hole very nearlyin the same position, save in so far that a narrow passage was leftbehind them, through which we might, with some difficulty, forceourselves.

  On top of these, especially in order to prevent our host from seeingwhat had been done, the two unheaded casks were placed, and then JobLord must have been keen-eyed indeed to have observed any change at thatportion of the room.

  It was Hiram who had remained inside the passage, passing out rocks orclods of earth, and when we had come thus far in our labor he decided itwould be safer to cease work a short time, lest he who was apparentlyholding us prisoners should succeed in returning secretly.

  "How far have you got toward the outside?" I asked as Hiram came frombehind the casks, brushing his clothing carefully, and washing his handsthat no token of the labor could be seen when next our host visited us.

  "I am of the belief that we have made what you might call a tunnelstraight through, and within a dozen inches of the surface," he replied."I had no means of guessing as to the distance, except by taking theflooring of the building as being well on the level, and from that Ifeel positive I had made my way upward to a point equal in height to thelast rung of the ladder. The question that bothers me is, how we canbreak through the crust of earth without leaving behind token of whathas been done?"

  "Why should we care whether any person saw how we escaped?" Archie askedin bewilderment. "Once Job Lord fails to find us he will know we havegone, and it matters little how soon he discovers the tunnel."

  "Aye, if so be we counted on taking to our heels at once; but there isin my mind an idea that we may play this double-faced Master Lord areasonably neat trick. It is agreed that we want to stay in Boston untilit is possible to aid Silas, or we have come to know that nothing can bedone, and where could we find a better hiding-place than this?"

  "But surely we can't count on going in and out at our pleasure, for thechances would be against us. Master Lord might come at any time, andwhen we attempted to return the jig would be up."

  "As to that I am not certain," Hiram said as, having removed all tracesof the work from his person, he seated himself at the table evidentlyready to enter into an argument should any of us dispute hisproposition. "While working in the tunnel the idea came to me that if wecarried the digging through successfully, one of us might be on theoutside, and Master Lord fail to discover the fact even if he paid us avisit."

  "How do you make that out?" Harvey asked incredulously.

  "Suppose, for instance, Luke ventured outside through the passageway, ifso be we can hit upon a plan of preventing the end of the tunnel frombeing seen on the surface. Now then, it should not be a very difficultjob for us to rig up a dummy which would have somewhat the appearance ofa lad lying on the bed as if asleep. Then we will say that you, Harvey,lie down beside the figure, pretending to be asleep. Master Lord comes;finds Archie and me sitting here at the table; glances at the bed, seesHarvey's face, and also what appears to be Luke's head. Think you hewould have any suspicion that matters were wrong?"

  "But suppose he did?" I insisted, determined to understand all thepossibilities of Hiram's scheme; but not allowing that it might be putthrough successfully.

  "Well, we will suppose his suspicions are aroused, and he goes over tothe bed to make certain Luke is there. How much worse off are we in casehe discovers the trick? We know him to be our enemy, regardless of theconfidence which our people may put in him, and it is also a fact thatwe are bound to keep our eyes open for the first move he shall make,because the end of this matter, from his point of view, is our captureby the Britishers when the time comes that all his purposes are served."

  "Well, what then?" I demanded impatiently. "Once he has made thediscovery that I am outside, can you prevent him raising an alarm, andthus bringing the lobster backs upon those who are inside?"

  "Aye, that seems to me a very simple matter," Hiram replied. "The momentour double-faced friend went toward the dummy to make certain he hadbeen tricked, our plan would be to fall upon him, and I'll eat my headif the three of us can't truss him up like a fowl ready for theroasting, however much of a fight he may make."

  "Well, and if we have him prisoner, what then?"

  "We'll simply hold him here until we get ready to leave town, and I'mthinking that won't be any difficult matter," Hiram said laughingly."With him bound hand and foot, and one of us ready to plump a gag in hismouth if he makes too much noise in the way of calling for assistance,it seems to me he would be about as harmless as a kitten in a cage. As amatter of fact, it is very nearly what we must do finally, for I am notcounting to take to my heels through yonder passage, leaving him behindfree to give word to the lobster backs that we are somewhere in thetown, or striving to get out of it. We are in such a box, lads, that itwould be worse than useless to hesitate at anything which promises,however slightly, to aid us," and now Hiram spoke in a grave tone, asdoes one who speculates upon some hazardous venture. "We shall not beable to leave this place without having a tussle with Master Lord, andno one can say how soon that may be necessary, therefore I hold to it weare warranted in taking many chances, if so be we are working toward theend that we set ourselves when leaving Cambridge. Even though we may nothold this place as a refuge eight and forty hours before the trick isdiscovered, then have we gained just so much time."

  I could think of no argument against this plan of Hiram's, ponder overit as I might. We were in desperate straits, and all of us knew fullwell that the danger would not be so great when Master Lord haddiscovered that we had a means of escape, providing we could hold himprisoner, than if he remained in ignorance of our purpose and at libertyto set the lobster backs on us whenever he chose.

  "The only thing against your plan, Hiram, is that which you yourselfhave confessed," Archie said thoughtfully. "The difficulty of concealingthe mouth of the tunnel after one of us has made his way through it."

  "Aye, there's the rub, lad; but it strikes me that 'twixt the four ofus, seeing's how we have all got some share of common-sense, we ought tobe able to overcome that trouble in course of time. I cannot say justnow what way it may be done; but we will hit upon an idea lads, we'llhit upon an idea."

  It may seem that this slight change in the situation was not sofavorable to our enterprise as to warrant very much in the way ofrejoicing, and yet I felt more nearly light-hearted after Hiram was atan end of explaining what he had done, and how the tunnel might be madeto serve us, than at any time since I left Cambridge, although I ambound to confess we were no nearer accomplishing our purpose because ofthis secret passage, than before. In fact, we had simply succeeded inentering the town, and then plunged ourselves into greater difficultiesthan ever, therefore it is possible the means of escape was simply astep toward righting the mistake that had been made.

  Then it was that Harvey asked suddenly, as if it was a matter of greatmoment:

  "Who knows whether it yet be day, or has the night come?"

  As a matter of course we had lost all knowledge of time, shut up in thatcellar where no ray of light penetrated, sleeping and eating as ourdesires prompted, and now the question had been raised I grew keen toknow whether another night had come, or if we had been there asprisoners less than four and twenty hours.

  "It was nearabout midnight when we came into this place," Hiram repliedto Harvey's question, as if still working out a problem in his mind. "Wespent much time with Master Lord; let us say until daybreak. Then weslept, and the chances are it must have been near to another night fallwhen we were awakened by a racket overhead. I'm allowing it was the nextnight after our arrival, perhaps late in the evening, when ourdouble-faced host brought us the provisions, and that we most-like
havespent one entire night eating and working on the tunnel. Therefore to mymind it is some time in the second day after our arrival. Surely itcannot be very late in the night, else would Master Lord have returned."

  All this seemed good reasoning, and yet now that we had seeminglysettled the matter, of what did it avail us? What mattered whether thesun was shining, or the earth shrouded in darkness, so that we dared notventure out in either case?

  Hiram speedily settled this matter, as in fact he did every one wediscussed, by asking:

  "What say you to my making our first venture through the secret passageafter that scoundrel who professes to be working in our interests,visits us the next time?"

  "Meaning that you would go out whether it was night or day?" Archieasked.

  "Surely not, lad; but I am allowing we can so far trust him as to takefor granted what he tells us as to the time. Now if I am guessingrightly, he will come back in the evening, and there is no good reasonwhy he should not say what is o'clock when we put the question. It oughtto be possible for us to learn whether he goes to bed, or ventures outagain, and if it so chances that he turns in, I will try the secretpassage."

  "When you made the holes in the floor for the purpose of hearing whatmight be going on in the room above, did you realize that they wouldserve to let him know what we are doing?" Harvey asked, and Hiram'sreply was a cheery one:

  "Aye, that I did, lad; but I'm not minded he shall get any advantagebecause of them, since it won't be a great exertion to plug the holeswith rags."

  It was evident that Hiram had given more thought to the situation, andto the possibility of turning it to our advantage, than had any of us.From that moment I was well content to do as he suggested, save in oneparticular, and that was as to which of us should make the firstventure, therefore I demanded to know why he claimed the right.

  "Because in the first place, so far as the lobster backs know, I haven'tbeen mixed up in the doings of the Minute Boys as have the rest of you."

  "How do you make that out?" Archie cried sharply. "Seth Jepson has toldthe Britishers all he knows, and your name has been put down with theothers."

  "Seeing's how I am the least known in this town of Boston, it strikes methere is nobody who can go out with less danger than myself," Hiramdeclared, and straightway I put an end to his pretensions by saying:

  "You would not be able to effect one half as much as any of us three,because of being unacquainted with the town and the people. Besides, youwould be missed more quickly by Master Lord; the chances are if heshould come, and you were asleep, he would insist upon awakening you,for you have acted as spokesman all the way through this business. Now Iam the one who has the right to go, and I can be of more service thanany other."

  As a matter of course all hands insisted on knowing upon what I based myclaims, and I put the matter plainly, perhaps with some show ofarrogance:

  "In the first place because I was chosen captain of the Minute Boys,which gives me the right to say what shall or shall not be done; thenagain I am as well acquainted with the people in this town as any other,knowing who may be trusted and whom we need fear."

  "What would you do in case we agreed you should be the first to ventureout?" Hiram asked, and I could well understand that he was inclined tobelieve me in the right.

  "First I would go to my own home, and it would be safe to do so becauseno one save Master Lord has any idea that I am in town. My mother mustknow somewhat of the doings hereabouts since we left, and may be able togive valuable information."

  "Is that all?" Archie asked as if he considered my plan to be of littleimportance so far as the work of releasing Silas was concerned.

  "I would take advice from her as to who among the men known to love theCause, it would be safe for me to visit, and to such person give fullinformation of how we are situated, and what we strive to accomplish.That I fancy is as much as any one of us can do in a single night."

  Archie would have had more to say regarding the matter, as I couldunderstand from the expression on his face; but just at that moment theouter door was heard to open noisily and close with a bang, after whichit seemed as if we could hear whoever had entered barring it behind him,and Hiram whispered softly to me:

  "Get you on the further side of the bed, and let Harvey lie down besideyou. Keep your face turned to the wall, as if you were the dummy ofwhich we have spoken."

  I understood that now he would make an experiment of the plan which hehad suggested, and as softly as might be I followed his instructions,repeating them to Harvey.

  In a twinkling we two lads were disposed of, I smothering my face in theblanket while my companion lay facing the table, and in a very shorttime after these preparations had been made the trap-door was opened.

  Master Lord came down the ladder with a noisy welcome, as if it pleasedhim to see us thus apparently contented, and before he had anopportunity to make any remark, Hiram asked in a tone of curiosity:

  "May it be night or day, Master Lord? We have been shut in here so longwithout seeing a ray of light that it has come to be a matter of nolittle importance to us."

  "It is nigh to nine of the clock, when all found loitering on the streetwithout a pass will be taken into custody, else I would have remainedabroad later, for I am hoping most earnestly to seek out some way bywhich you can aid your comrade."

  "Was it last night that we came here?" Hiram continued, as if promptedsolely by curiosity.

  "Not so; nearly eight and forty hours have passed since you arrived."

  "Hiram guessed rightly, as he nearly always contrives to do," I said tomyself, and then Master Lord asked:

  "Why are you so interested in the time of day? Since you must perforceremain here idle while I am cutting out the work for you, it is of noespecial importance whether the sun or the moon is shining."

  "Aye, that may be," Hiram replied reflectively; "but you see yondersleepy heads declared they would turn in because another night hadsurely come, and I was trying to persuade them they would be spendingthe day in slumber, which as I look at the matter is wrong, even thoughwe may not venture out."

  Master Lord appeared to be content with this explanation, and at oncebegan telling of what he had heard on the street regarding GeneralGage's probable plans, giving no very important news save the fact thatour people were sending troops to this post and that in the work ofbesieging the town, and it was understood by the Britishers that theywere much the same as held fast, without means of leaving Boston, savethey chose to beat a retreat by water.

  "It stands to reason General Gage could not do anything of that kind,however much he might desire it," our double-faced host explained. "Itis true he is not advancing the king's work by staying here, yet toevacuate the town would be to admit that the Americans had beaten him bythat victory which he claims at Breed's hill."

  Then he went on with a lot of words intended, as I fancied, rather tokeep us quiet in mind than for any other purpose, and, giving but littleheed to his talk, I tried in vain to guess why he wished to hold us inthis place rather than turn all four over to the Britishers immediately,as I doubted not but that he intended to do finally.

  He remained mayhap half an hour talking with Hiram, for neither Harveynor Archie ventured to take part in the conversation, and giving no heedto me. If the dummy we proposed to make had been in my place, and I onthe outside, he would have remained in ignorance of the fact.

  "If he could thus be deceived once, why not twice or thrice?" and I saidto myself that Hiram Griffin had worked out a plan as nearly perfect asanything of the kind could be reckoned.

  When Master Lord had ascended to the upper floor, and closed and boltedthe door to make certain we could not give him the slip, Hiram creptlike a cat upon the table, pressing his ear against one of theapertures. He stood there as it seemed to me a full hour before he camedown as cautiously as before, and leaned over the bed where I lay, towhisper softly in my ear:

  "After I have plugged up the holes, lad, it is time for you to get t
owork, if so be you are minded to make the venture as was agreed upon."

  Minded? I was burning with the desire to set out, foolishly believingthat once I was free in the streets of Boston town, it would not only bepossible for me to avoid the patrol, but I could do very much towardthat release of Silas Brownrigg's on which we had set our hearts.

  Not until Hiram had filled the two small apertures with pieces of clothtorn from his shirt, did I make any move, and then it can well befancied that I strove to rise from the bed without noise.

  Hiram was already wrapping his coat around a large rock taken from oneof the casks, which as I understood was intended to represent my head,and when this had been placed upon the bed, he made a roll of blanketsto form the body. Over this he threw a second blanket, and if so be thelight was dim, I believed, as I stood near the table where Master Lordwould naturally come if he should pay us a visit during the night, thatit was a fair resemblance to myself as he had just seen me.

  "I'm allowing that you can make your way out after five minutes ofdigging," Hiram whispered to me, and then came to my mind the oneimportant question which we had failed to settle.

  "How shall I cover the hole?"

  "That is for you to decide after getting out. My idea is that the turfmay be thrown up in such a way that it can be replaced, and yet Iquestion much whether it is of any very great importance to conceal themouth of the tunnel during such time as you may be absent, for whyshould any person, much less Job Lord, be prowling around the rear ofthis building in the night?"

  With this Hiram dismissed the matter as if believing it was not a vitalone, and instructed me as to how the first portion of the work should beperformed. He was to stand on the table, having pulled out the plug ofcloth from one of the apertures, where it might be possible to hearwhat was going on overhead. Archie would take station a few feetdistant, toward the casks, while Harvey remained close by the rubbishhole. Then if Hiram heard any suspicious sounds he would motion to theone nearest, who could in turn let the next sentinel know, and this lastmight warn me to keep quiet in the tunnel. If perchance Master Lord didcome down into the room, because of being suspicious, or in order tohold any further converse, I must stay in the passage, and the dummyplay my part the same as if I had gained the outside.

  When all this had been decided upon and understood, the lads stationedthemselves, and I crept into the tunnel, finding the passage so verymuch narrower than I had counted upon that already was I beginning tofear I might, through clumsiness, so wedge myself in that it would beimpossible to advance or retreat.

  That, however, was one of the chances which must be taken, if we wouldget about the work in the only manner that promised success, and Iwriggled my way upward until having come to where the earth wasseemingly solid above my head, on the alert meanwhile for a signal fromHarvey which should tell of danger in the rear.

  Without delay, and yet not hastily lest by too much speed a blunder bemade, I scraped away the dirt from above my head, allowing it to fallwheresoever it would, until I could feel the roots of the grass, andknew I was come to the turf.

  Then, feeling carefully around at the very edge, so that I might forceit upward in such a manner as to form a lid that would drop back intoplace again, I pressed with all my strength.

  The roots of the grass tore asunder; a draft of fresh air struck upon myface, and, looking upward, I could see stars twinkling in the sky in amost friendly fashion, as it seemed to me.

  Within sixty seconds I was standing erect in the rear of the buildingwhich Master Lord counted to be our prison, free to go whithersoever Iwould, so that I kept myself clear from the patrol and did not blunderupon too many Tories.

  I had in the belt by my side the knife of which I have already spoken,and it was the only weapon which I could carry while making a waythrough the narrow tunnel; but this I was determined to use with deadlyintent if peradventure I should come upon only one, or mayhap twoenemies who recognized me, and I believe of a verity that, excited anddesperate as I was become, it would have been possible for me to havefought for liberty with the energy of half a dozen lads.

  It can well be fancied that I did not stand many seconds in the opentalking with myself as to what I would do in case of a pinch. It seemedto me the most dangerous portion of my undertaking was to slip past thebuilding without being overheard by Master Lord, and I flattered myselfthat no Indian on the war path ever moved more noiselessly than I, untilhaving gained Long lane.

  Even while making my way through the tunnel I had mapped out the courseto be pursued, which was that I would cross the vacant land from Longlane to the corner of Bishop's alley and Milk street, after which itwould be necessary to take my chances of coming upon the patrol. Icounted even on going as near the governor's house as Old South Church,and from thence boldly down Corn hill, passing dangerously near theprison until coming to Dock square. As to the rest of the journey, Isaid to myself it should be determined by chance.

  Once at a safe distance from Master Lord's house I walked rapidly,keeping my ears wide open, as you can well suppose, for any sound of thepatrol, until I was come to Milk street, and from thence on my heart wasliterally in my mouth, for then I was in that part of the town where Imust reasonably expect to come upon enemies.

  Twice I was within a hair's-breadth of being discovered by the patrol,but it seemed as if fortune favored me on this venture, for each timewhen the sound of their footfalls came to my ears I was nigh aconvenient hiding-place, either in a garden or at the rear of somebuilding, and although it may seem impossible that the trick could havebeen turned so readily, I passed through Dock square and gained Unionstreet without having come face to face with a single person.

  Then it was that I steered a course for the water mill, and thence kepton along the shore of the mill pond, where was less danger of coming incontact with a lobster back, and after that the way was, as you mightsay, plain sailing.

  Perhaps the most difficult part of the venture thus far, was when Istrove to awaken my mother without attracting the attention of theneighbors. She, dear soul, had secured every door and window lestthieves might break in and steal what little of property the Britishershad left us, and more than once did I half turn as if to depart,believing I was courting too much of danger in thus striving to havespeech with her.

  Fortunately, however, I continued my efforts sufficiently long toarouse the dear woman, and heard in a low, frightened tone from inside,the question as to who was demanding entrance.

  It goes without saying that the door was opened very suddenly when Iwhispered my name, and on feeling her arms around me I was so heartenedthat it seemed as if I could successfully encounter any ordinary numberof Tories or red-coats who might seek to make me prisoner.

  She would have cried out against it when I told her for what purpose wehad come to Boston town, and I knew full well that if I had explainedthe dangers to which we were exposed, even while under the supposed careof Job Lord, she would have begged and insisted so strenuously for us togive over that which had in it so much of hazard, that I might not haveprevailed against her.

  I contented myself with telling her how we had chanced to come upon thisMaster Lord, and repeated what had been said concerning his loyalty tothe Cause, thereby giving her to believe we were in perfect securitywhile remaining at his dwelling, all of which went far toward calmingher fears. It was what you might call deceiving one's mother, and yet Ibelieved that under the circumstances was I fully warranted in so doing,otherwise had I left her as I must, she would have eaten her heart outwith anxiety and forebodings.

  To her mind it was not possible we could do anything whatsoever in aidof Silas. She had heard from our friends that the prisoners taken atBreed's hill were closely guarded; that none save those who were knownto be of the king's side could even so much as have a glimpse of them,and knowing I could not remain in town very long without being takeninto custody, instead of pleading that I remain with her, she begged meto go with all speed to Cambridge.

 
Explaining that I would have speech with some man who was devoted to theCause and yet remained in Boston, she proposed that I go to MasterWilliam Mansfield, who lived in Mackrell lane, for he was one who hadproven himself a true son of the colony, having staid in town because oflameness in the leg which prevented him from serving as a soldier.

  I remained with my mother not more than half an hour, although it wouldhave pleased me right well could I have staid there until break of day;but time was exceedingly precious if I would save my own skin as well asthat of my comrades, and I hastened away, counting to do no more thanhave a plain talk with Master Mansfield before going back to thehiding-place which was a prison, knowing full well that the lads theremust be filled with apprehension and fear as the moments went by, lest Imight have been taken into custody, thus bringing about discovery of thesecret passage.

  Now, because of having succeeded so well thus far in my mission it maybe I grew careless, although even to this day it seems as if I exercisedevery caution while on the way from my home to Mackrell lane.

  Certain it was, however, that on going up Ann street to the town dock Ifailed to hear the sound of footsteps behind me, until a hand was laidon my shoulder, and a disagreeably familiar voice cried in a tone as oftriumph:

  "After what was done at Hog island, and then at Breed's hill, have youthe courage to come into this town, Luke Wright?"

  I wheeled suddenly as you may fancy, and it was as if the very bloodgrew chill in my veins when I saw that he who had spoken was none otherthan the traitorous cur, Seth Jepson.