Part 27 (2/2)

I cannot set down all these two said, for the very good reason that I failed to charge myself with taking in the purport of the conversation; but this I do know, that when they had come apparently to understand each other, and were grown to be as thick as two thieves, Master Lord explained that in order we might remain more securely hidden from suspicion, and that none of the neighbors should come to fancy he had visitors in the building, we must prepare our own food, cooking it in the fire-place of the cellar.

By such a course the house would remain open to whosoever might visit it, and unless the secret of our hiding-place was revealed by our haste, we were as safe in Boston town as in any other place, meaning, of course, in event of Job Lord's proving to be a true man as he claimed to be.

To all of this Hiram agreed as if satisfied in every particular, and then claimed to be prodigiously hungry, which was another surprise on his part, for we had even then with us enough of provision to satisfy all our desires during the next four and twenty hours.

However, Hiram clung to the a.s.sertion that he was nigh to being famished, and Master Lord went without delay to the floor above, as if to procure that which might be needed.

No sooner had he ascended the ladder than I stole softly to Hiram's side, asking in an angry whisper:

”What has come upon you so suddenly, that you fail to see anything suspicious in our being thus asked to lay here content with what that man may be able to do, never ourselves raising a hand in behalf of Silas?”

”Yes, it seems as if I had not broken my fast for four and twenty hours,” Hiram replied in a loud tone, at the same time motioning toward the floor above, as if to say that he would not converse with me however guardedly, while Master Lord was where he might come to believe we were holding secret council.

This gesture of our comrade's soothed me somewhat, for I began to fancy he had a plan in his mind to thwart our host if so be he gave token of treachery, and yet I failed to understand how it might be done while we remained there much the same as prisoners. In my stupidity I lost sight of the fact that we were absolutely powerless. If this Job Lord was indeed double-faced, then at the moment we ventured out despite his advice, it was only necessary for him to give word to the lobster backs, when we would, perhaps, come upon Silas by being ourselves made prisoners.

So far as ministering to our wants was concerned, Master Lord showed himself most generous. After ascending and descending half a dozen times, he had on the table before us an ample supply of corn meal, salt pork, and, what was indeed a rarity, a leg of freshly-killed lamb, and this at a time when our people in Cambridge believed the rank and file of the king's army were living upon salt food, because of our having shut off their supplies from the country roundabout.

In addition, Master Lord brought a jar of whale oil, which I myself knew had been hard to come upon in Boston, even before the butchery at Lexington; but he must have been plentifully supplied, for he insisted we use it freely, saying it was not well for us to remain in darkness, and that we should strive to make our gloomy quarters as comfortable as possible.

”There is no good reason why you should not enjoy yourselves so far as may be,” he said in the most friendly of tones when he had laid before us the last of the supplies. ”Until the time for action comes, you can do no less than remain here, and it is well to be content in mind, trusting that I will give the signal at the first moment anything may be done to aid your comrade.”

Then, looking about him scrutinizingly as if to make certain he had forgotten nothing, he turned and went up the ladder, halting when nigh to the top, and saying:

”You can understand that every precaution against discovery of this place must be taken, therefore it is that I bolt the trap down, covering it afterward with such things as can most handily be come at in my kitchen, so that one may not see where the timbers are sawn apart.”

He was striving to explain why we were kept close prisoners, and again my anger rose, for I failed to understand if the trap-door was covered and screened from view of any who might enter the room above, why it should be bolted so that we might not raise it in case of an emergency.

After we had been thus closely confined beyond all hope of leaving the place, and could hear Master Lord moving about the room above, I strove once more to have an explanation with Hiram; but again he motioned toward the ceiling, although this time, clutching me by the shoulders, he drew my ear close to his lips as he whispered:

”Take station just beneath where the side door which leads into the room above is located, and there do your best to learn whether any come in, or if our exceedingly good friend goes out.”

Then he set about making ready the meal, in which work every convenience, including a spit, was to be found near the fire-place, and meanwhile talking so loudly regarding his hunger and our good fortune in finding so secure a hiding-place, that Master Lord himself must have been able to hear distinctly some of his words.

Because he gave no warning that we should remain silent, were my suspicions regarding his loyalty increased, for if peradventure our presence there must be kept a profound secret from everybody, then should he have checked Hiram, since in event of a Tory or a lobster back entering the building, our comrade's voice would be heard.

However, I went to that part of the room as nearly under the door of the building as I could judge, and there took my station as Hiram directed, feeling certain now that he had in mind some plan for the discovery of Master Lord's real intention.

I had not been thus endeavoring to play the eavesdropper above half an hour, and the leg of lamb on the spit was sending forth a most appetizing odor, when I distinctly heard the door above open, and then came to my ears the footfalls of at least two, whom I judged to be men because of the heaviness with which they stepped.

Immediately afterward, and while we could hear the subdued hum of voices above, Hiram whispered to Archie that he and Harvey should attend to the cooking of the meat, then tapping me on the shoulder with a gesture which I understood meant for me to follow.

Moving cautiously, in marked contrast to the loud tones in which he had spoken a few moments previous, Hiram began at the end of the cellar which was nearest the street, making a careful examination of the walls as if seeking some means of outlet, I copying his every movement.

Heavy logs, laid up with as much care as one would bestow in building the sides of a house, formed this refuge of ours, and I was saying to myself that if my comrade had any hope of finding a means of leaving the place without knowledge of Master Lord, then was he doomed to disappointment, when we were come to the fire-place, on one side of which stood mayhap half a dozen casks, as if carelessly stacked there out of the way.

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