Part 7 (1/2)

Retiring to the assigned quarters, Champe now turned his attention to the delivery of his letters, which he could not effect till the next night, and then only to one of the two incogniti, to whoeant with attention, and having read the letter, assured him of his faithful cooperation The object for which the aid of this individual was required, regarded those persons i to enter with zeal upon the investigation, and engaging to transmit Champe's letters to Major Lee, he fixed the ti, when they separated A day or two afterward, Chaeant to Arnold, for the purpose of securing uninterrupted ingress and egress at the house which the general occupied

The letters which Lee received from Champe, announced that the difficulties in his ere numerous and stubborn, and that his prospect of success was by no ainst certain officers and soldiers in the American army of an intention to follow Arnold's example, he expressed his decided conviction that they were unfounded; that they had taken their rise in the enemy's camp, and that they would be satisfactorily confuted But the pleasure which the latter part of this cos it i Arnold--as on his speedy capture and safe delivery depended Andre's relief

The interposition of Sir Henry Clinton, as extremely anxious to save his much-loved aid-de-camp, still continued It was expected that the examination of witnesses in Andre's case and the defense of the prisoner, would protract the decision of the court of inquiry then asseive sufficient time for the consummation of the project confided to Champe This hope was disappointed in a manner wholly unexpected The honorable and accomplished Andre disdained defense, and prevented the exa the character of the mission, in the execution of which he was arrested The court reassembled on the second of October Andre was declared to be a spy, and condely

The painful sentence was executed on the subsequent day, in the usual for it improper to interpose any delay

In this decision he arranted by the unproence received fro implication of other officers in Arnold's conspiracy--by a due regard to public opinion, and by the inexorable necessity of a severe example

The fate of Andre, hastened by himself, deprived the enterprise cohly prized by the projector, and which had engaged the heart of the individual selected for its execution Washi+ngton ordered Major Lee to coeant, with directions to encourage hi objects of his instructions Champe bitterly deplored the fate of Andre, and confessed that the hope of saving the unfortunate young erous enterprise Nothing now remained but to atteave his undivided attention Ten days elapsed before he could conclude his arrangements, at the end of which ti the third subsequent night for a party of dragoons to meet him at Hoboken, when he hoped to deliver Arnold to the officer

From the moment of his enlistment into Arnold's corps, Cha the habits of that individual

He discovered that it was his custoht, and that, previous to going to bed, he generally walked in his garden During this visit, the conspirators were to seize hi the house in which Arnold resided, and in which it was designed to seize and gag his and replaced theht be readily re alley Into this alley he meant to have conveyed his prisoner, aided by his companions, one of two associates who had been introduced by the friend to whoinally made known by letter from the commander-in-chief, and hose aid and counsel he had so far conducted the enterprise His other associate was in readiness with the boat at one of the wharves on the Hudson river, to receive the party

Champe and his friend intended to have placed themselves each under Arnold's shoulder, and to have thus borne hih theArnold, in case of being questioned, as a drunken sailor, whoe across the river could be easily accomplished

These particulars were coton, who directed the former to meet Champe, and to take care that Arnold should not be hurt The appointed day arrived, and Lee with a party of dragoons, left ca, with three led horses--one for Arnold, one for the sergeant, and the third for his associate From the tenor of the last communication from Champe, no doubt was entertained of the success of the enterprise The party froht, where they were concealed in the adjoining wood--Lee, with three dragoons, stationing himself near the river shore

Hour after hour passed No boat approached At length the day broke, and the rined at the failure of the project

In a few days, Lee received an anony hiht for the execution of the plot, Arnold had removed his quarters to another part of the town, to superintend the e, as was rumored, for an expedition, to be placed under his own direction The A chiefly of American deserters, had been transferred fro apprehended that if left on shore till the expedition was ready, ht desert

Thus it happened that John Chaht, was safely deposited on board one of the transports, from which he never departed till the troops under Arnold landed in Virginia, Nor was he able to escape from the British arh, when he deserted; and passing through Virginia and North Carolina, safely joined the Aaree, in pursuit of Lord Rawdon

Cha his former comrades, which was not a little increased when they witnessed the cordial reception, which he met with from the late Major, now Lieutenant-Colonel Lee His whole story soon became known to the corps, and he becaard

Chaave hie froht fall into the enenized, he could expect no inia, after leaving the army He afterward removed to Kentucky, where he died For a full account of his adventures, we may refer the reader to Major Lee's Meely indebted

ADVENTURE WITH PIRATES

There lived, not e island off the coast of Maine--an old fisherman, by the name of Jedediah Spinnet, ned a schooner of soether with soo, about once a year, to the Grand Banks, for the purpose of catching codfish The old s, upon the peculiar merits of which he loved to boast--his schooner, ”Betsy Jenkins,” and his four sons The four sons were all their father represented them to be, and no one ever doubted his word, when he said that their like was not to be found for fifty est had just completed his twenty-sixth year, and they answered to the na a stranger called upon Jedediah to engage hiines for sugar plantations The terreed upon, and the oldthe machinery on board; that accomplished, they set sail for Havana, with a fair wind, and for several days proceeded on their course without any adventure of any kind One , however, a vessel was descried off their starboard quarter, which, after some hesitation, the old man pronounced a pirate

There was not , for the vessel soon saluted thehteen pound shot under the stern

”That means for us to heave to,” reuess we'd better do it hadn't we?” said Seth

”Of course”

Accordingly, the Betsy Jenkins was brought up into the wind, and her main-boom hauled over to ard

”Now boys,” said the old man, as soon as the schooner came to a stand, ”all we can do is to be as cool as possible, and to trust to fortune

There is no way to escape that I can see now; but, perhaps, if we are civil, they will take such stuff as they want, then let us go At any rate there is no use crying about it, for it can't be helped Now get your pistols, and see that they are surely loaded, and have your knives ready, but be sure and hide them, so that the pirates shall see no show of resistance In a few moments all the arms which the schooner afforded, with the exception of one or two old muskets, were secured about the persons of our Down Easters, and they quietly awaited the co of the schooner