Part 29 (1/2)
”They do a little at it; but they are obliged to be sparing among their own people. I have been down twice, under an agreement with them: the first time they acted with honor; but the second they came upon us and drove us off, and took the plunder to themselves.”
”That was a very dishonorable act, indeed; I wonder that an honorable man will a.s.sociate with such rascals.”
”It is necessary to have an understanding with some of them, or we might be taken; but a man without honor is worse than a brute. Do you think Major Dunwoodie is to be trusted?”
”You mean on honorable principles?”
”Certainly; you know Arnold was thought well of until the royal major was taken.”
”Why, I do not believe Dunwoodie would sell his command as Arnold wished to do; neither do I think him exactly trustworthy in a delicate business like this of yours.”
”That's just my notion,” rejoined the Skinner, with a self-approving manner that showed how much he was satisfied with his own estimate of character.
By this time they had arrived at a better sort of farmhouse, the very extensive outbuildings of which were in tolerable repair, for the times. The barns were occupied by the men of the troop, while the horses were arranged under the long sheds which protected the yard from the cold north wind. The latter were quietly eating, with saddles on their backs and bridles thrown on their necks, ready to be bitted and mounted at the shortest warning. Lawton excused himself for a moment, and entered his quarters. He soon returned, holding in his hand one of the common, stable lanterns, and led the way towards a large orchard that surrounded the buildings on three sides. The gang followed the trooper in silence, believing his object to be facility of communicating further on this interesting topic, without the danger of being overheard.
Approaching the captain, the Skinner renewed the discourse, with a view of establis.h.i.+ng further confidence, and of giving his companion a more favorable opinion of his own intellects.
”Do you think the colonies will finally get the better of the king?” he inquired, with a little of the importance of a politician.
”Get the better!” echoed the captain with impetuosity. Then checking himself, he continued, ”No doubt they will. If the French will give us arms and money, we will drive out the royal troops in six months.”
”Well, so I hope we shall soon; and then we shall have a free government, and we, who fight for it, will get our reward.”
”Oh!” cried Lawton, ”your claims will be indisputable; while all these vile Tories who live at home peaceably, to take care of their farms, will be held in the contempt they merit. You have no farm, I suppose?”
”Not yet-but it will go hard if I do not find one before the peace is made.”
”Right; study your own interests, and you study the interests of your country; press the point of your own services, and rail at the Tories, and I'll bet my spurs against a rusty nail that you get to be a county clerk at least.”
”Don't you think Paulding's [Footnote: The author must have intended some allusion to an individual, which is too local to be understood by the general reader. Andre, as is well known, was arrested by three countrymen, who were on the lookout for predatory parties of the enemy; the princ.i.p.al man of this party was named Paulding. The disinterested manner in which they refused the offers of their captive is matter of history.] party were fools in not letting the royal adjutant general escape?” said the man, thrown off his guard by the freedom of the captain's manner.
”Fools!” cried Lawton, with a bitter laugh. ”Aye, fools indeed; King George would have paid them better, for he is richer. He would have made them gentlemen for their losses. But, thank G.o.d! there is a pervading spirit in the people that seems miraculous. Men who have nothing, act as if the wealth of the Indies depended on their fidelity; all are not villains like yourself, or we should have been slaves to England years ago.”
”How!” exclaimed the Skinner, starting back, and dropping his musket to the level of the other's breast; ”am I betrayed, and are you my enemy?”
”Miscreant!” shouted Lawton, his saber ringing in its steel scabbard, as he struck the musket of the fellow from his hands, ”offer but again to point your gun at me, and I'll cleave you to the middle.”
”And you will not pay us, then, Captain Lawton?” said the Skinner, trembling in every joint, for just then he saw a party of mounted dragoons silently encircling the whole party.
”Oh! pay you-yes, you shall have the full measure of your reward. There is the money that Colonel Singleton sent down for the captors of the spy,” throwing a bag of guineas with disdain at the other's feet. ”But ground your arms, you rascals, and see that the money is truly told.”
The intimidated band did as they were ordered; and while they were eagerly employed in this pleasing avocation, a few of Lawton's men privately knocked the flints out of their muskets.
”Well,” cried the impatient captain, ”is it right? Have you the promised reward?”
”There is just the money,” said the leader; ”and we will now go to our homes, with your permission.”
”Hold! so much to redeem our promise-now for justice; we pay you for taking a spy, but we punish you for burning, robbing, and murdering. Seize them, my lads, and give each of them the law of Moses-forty save one.”