Part 10 (1/2)

And the spies departed as cautiously and quickly as they had come.

As soon as they had gone, the smugglers arose from their places of concealment, and stole into the house, and acquainted the other boys with the success of their stratagem.

After enjoying a hearty laugh at the expense of the coast-guards, led by George and Harry, they ran up stairs into the ”large chamber,” a room containing three beds, and they were soon snug between the sheets. But sleep was, for a long time, out of the question; they laughed and talked until their jaws ached, and the hands of the old clock that stood in the room pointed to twelve; then they allowed their tired tongues to rest, and lay for a long time, each occupied with his own thoughts, and, finally, one after the other fell asleep.

The hours pa.s.sed on, and nothing was heard but their gentle breathing.

Suddenly Harry, who always talked in his sleep when any thing exciting was going on, turned over in bed with a jerk, and began to mutter some unintelligible words. All at once, raising himself to a sitting posture, he sang out, at the top of his voice,

”Starboard your helm there, George--starboard your helm; bring her around quick. The Alert can show as clean a pair of heels as any boat about the village.”

In an instant the other boys were awake, and Harry continued to shout his directions, until several hearty thumps on the back caused him to change his tune.

”Let me alone!” he shouted. ”We haven't cheated you. We promised to carry the provisions all over in one boat, and we've done it.”

Harry was quickly dragged out of bed and placed upon his feet, and he was wide awake in an instant, but he stood in the middle of the room, as if bewildered, while the others rolled on the beds, convulsed with laughter.

At length, William Johnson, who was the first that could speak, inquired,

”I wonder what time it is.”

”Wait until I light this candle, and we'll see,” said George.

”No, no, don't do that,” said Frank. ”The coast-guards may be on the watch, and, if they see a light in the house, will be getting ready for us.”

And, going to the clock, he opened it, and, feeling of the hands, said,

”It's about ten minutes to three.”

”What shall we do?” inquired Ben.

”Let us go and see what our friends of the squadron are doing,” said Thomas; ”and, if they are not on hand, we can slip over and land our goods.”

By this time every one was dressed, and they crept carefully down stairs and out of the house.

”Hold on a minute, boys,” said Frank. ”I will bet there are spies around that boat-house now.”

”Let's take them prisoners,” exclaimed Harry.

”That's just what I was about to propose,” said Frank; ”but, in order to do it, we had better divide into two parties, so as to surround the house.”

”Well,” said George, ”three of us will go up the road, and cross over by the bridge, and the rest of you can go down the road, and get into the willows behind the mill.”

”That's a good idea,” said Frank. ”We will meet at the back of the boat-house.”

The boys accordingly separated, and started in different directions.

Frank and his party, which consisted of Harry and Ben, threaded their way through the garden, and across a meadow, until they arrived opposite Mr. Butler's mill. Here they crossed the road, and, after a careful reconnoissance, entered the willows, and crawled, almost on their hands and knees, toward the boat-house. At length they arrived at the place where they were to meet their companions, but nothing was to be seen or heard of them.

”I hope they have not been taken prisoners,” whispered Frank.

”I don't think they have,” said Ben, ”because we should have heard something of it. They are not the ones to give up without a struggle.