Read Ebook: The Young Continentals at Trenton by McIntyre John T John Thomas Boyer Ralph L Ralph Ludwig Illustrator

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Ebook has 1390 lines and 60392 words, and 28 pages

"I am ready," announced he, in reply to the officer's mute inquiry.

"Good lad," said the general, heartily; "to-morrow, then, you make a beginning. I'll have a sum of money sent you to-morrow at your lodgings, for you'll have some small expenses, no doubt. And now, good luck. Do your best."

George saluted.

"You may trust me for that, sir," said he. And then he went out.

EXPLAINS HOW GEORGE PRENTISS BECAME A GUEST AT THE "WHEAT SHEAF"

True to his word, General Putnam sent George Prentiss a handful of gold coins next morning and George, toward noon, engaged a horse of the landlord which he promised to send back by a wagoner on the day following. Mounting, he set out up Broadway, turned into the Bloomingdale Road, and then along the Hudson until he came to the sharp turn to the right which brought him into the Kingsbridge Road not far from Burdett's Ferry. Directly ahead, Harlem Heights bulked densely; to the east could be seen the wooded sides of Mt. Morris, while from the high shoulder of the road, an occasional glint was to be had of the Harlem River as it slipped along toward the Sound.

The young man drew up his horse at this point and looked about him.

"The reports placed the 'Wheat Sheaf' at no great distance from here," said he to himself. "And as it's wearing toward evening I may as well take my dinner there."

As he sat his horse he heard the ring of a hammer striking hearty blows upon an anvil; then a sledge joined in and a clangor of sound swept upward. George shook the rein, and about fifty yards further on, in a sheltered spot a little back from the road, he came upon a small smithy.

George dismounted and stood watching the smith and his assistant for a space; then the iron was apparently beaten into its true shape, for it was laid aside and the two stood mopping their faces with damp towels.

"Good-day," greeted George.

"The top of it to yourself, sure," returned the smith, who was a freckled Irishman with fiery red hair and a droll look.

"That seemed like a hard task," commented the young man, coming nearer.

"Why, then," returned the smith, "it's little else we're getting nowadays. Since they've took to fighting all about the place, sorra the bit of work do we get but bayonets, swords as long as your arm and bits like this," with a jerk of his thumb toward the still glowing forging, "for the big guns."

The apprentice, a huge limbed youth with a small, sloping head, was observing young Prentiss's shoulder belt with its heavy hanger, and the pistol butt that protruded from a holster.

"Are you in General Putnam's army?" asked he, all agape.

"No," replied George, truthfully. "I am not."

"Small blame to him for asking you that," said the Irish smith, "for it's few that go by now but Putnam's sogers--or the other sort."

"The other sort!" echoed George, catching at this instantly. "What do you mean?"

"Are you for the king or for Congress?" asked the smith.

"For Congress," returned George, promptly.

The other came forward and extended a brawny fist.

"Good luck to you, for you're the right stripe," said he smiling broadly. "It's meself that knows but little about the Congress beyant there and what they do be about; but I'm hand and foot with them against the Sassenach, no matter what it is."

George laughed at this frank declaration of purpose; but instantly came back to the matter of interest.

"The 'other sort' I suppose are Tories?" said he.

The smith nodded. "Faith," spoke he, "they're fair pisonous with the venom that's in them; and hereabouts they do be as thick as the gnats in the swamps."

"But the army being in possession prevents them being at all dangerous," said George.

The other shook his head. "The army can do nothing against such as these," said he. "You might as well put that horse of yours, there, to catching a mole. Sorra the sound do they make, and never a sight of themselves do they give any one."

"But," and George smiled a little, "it would seem that you have both heard and seen them at some time or other."

The Irishman laughed loudly at this remark. "Why, then," said he, "you're the shrewd felly entirely. But you're right," and here he lowered his voice. "You're right. I see more than some; and be the same token, I hear more than most."

He nodded mysteriously. As there appeared to be something gained by it, George slipped from his mount, tied it by the door and entered the smithy. Leaning against a broken gun carriage, he began slowly drawing off his gauntlets.

"I have heard a great deal, in one way and another, of the plots of the Loyalists," said he with an air of doubt, "but to be entirely candid, I have seen scarcely anything in the way of proof."

"Proof!" said the smith, with energy; "it's proof ye want, is it, me lad? Oh, well! them that have it could supply plenty of it."

"Why don't they come forward with it, then?" demanded young Prentiss, bluntly. "Why hide it?"

"Perhaps," said the other, "they have small bits of childer and are not wantin' the houses burnt over their heads."

"It's fear, then, that stops their mouths," stated George. "They are afraid of the king's men!"

He had calculated well; the Celtic ire of the smith began to rise; his big fists doubled up; his freckled face began to flame.

"Afraid, is it!" cried he. "Afraid! If you knew them you wouldn't say that. When you live in a lonely place, my lad, and have desperate enemies with revenge in their hearts again' you, you must take care. And when wife and childer are depending upon the man for the bite and the sup, he thinks twice before he puts himself in danger."

"But how is one to know that there is real danger?" said George. "It may be that it has no existence save in the mind of the person who dreads it."

This exasperated the blacksmith. He had been holding himself in check with great effort, but now he burst out:

Vastly disappointed, the apprentice took off his leather apron and departed on his errand. Then the smith gave his attention to George once more.

"He's a good, hard-working lad," said he, "but he's not over bright in some things, and lets his tongue run too free when he shouldn't."

He poked his fire and threw on more fuel; then seating himself upon the anvil, he went on:

"People do imagine a good many things," nodding wisely. "I've listened to them myself many a time. But is it imagination when a man comes in the night, calls you to the door, and you wide awake, pokes a lantern in your face with one hand and a pistol with the other and bids you hold your peace?"

"Did that happen to you?"

"To no one else. And why? Because I knew more than it was thought fitting I should know. Because I had seen things. Because I had heard things. Because if I told the half of it, I'd be putting ropes about the necks of a dozen or more."

George laughed. "More than likely it was some sort of a rough joke that your visitor was enjoying at your expense," said he.

Again the ire of the smith began to mount.

"Joke?" cried he. "Joke, is it? You know nothing of me, me lad, or you'd be sure no man would play the merry Andrew in that style with me. And maybe you think," here he pointed one challenging finger at George, "that it was a joke that I see carried on that same night, only a bit earlier, at the 'Wheat Sheaf'?"

"What was that?" asked George, allowing quite a tone of scepticism to creep into his voice.

The Celt recognized the doubtful tone, and the warmth of his manner increased.

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