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James Otis >> Neal, the Miller
The fact that Samuel Haines would probably soon arrive in search of his
horse caused Master Cotton no little disquietude of mind, and he said,
reprovingly,-
"It is well to be zealous in a good cause, Walter; but it is wrong to
commit a crime in order to compass your own ends."
"What crime have I committed?"
"The theft of the horse will be charged against you, and those who are
intrusted with the execution of the law do not favour such an association
as that in which you have enlisted."
"My getting possession of him was the fortune of war, not a theft. I was a
prisoner, made so unlawfully, and had the right to escape as best I
could."
"That argument is good here; but will be of little avail to those who look
upon you as a disloyal youth, who should be deprived of his liberty.'
"If I am to be charged with horse-stealing because of what has been done,
it cannot be avoided now. Before I am arrested I must carry the message
with which I have been entrusted, and to do so I need another horse. I had
believed I could get one from you without difficulty."
"So you can, lad but at the same time you must not think hardly of me if I
use proper precaution to save myself from being caught in the meshes of
the law. You know where my stable is j take an animal from there without
my permission, and I cannot prevent it."
"I am to steal another horse in order that you may not get into trouble?"
"It can make but little difference to you, so long as you see Master
Revere by daylight, and I must not neglect my own interests. No one has
seen you, and you may be able to get out of town secretly."
Walter could not afford to waste any more time in what seemed very like
quibbling, and without further parley he turned to act upon his friend's
suggestion.
"It is not well that you remain in Boston any longer than may be
absolutely necessary for your business," the worthy Master Cotton called
after him, warningly. "There is that being done which you need not be
identified with."
Walter made no reply; but when he was out of the building on his way to
the stable, he muttered to himself, -
"If I was as timorous as you, Master Cotton, I should now be in the
company of Sam Haines, with a rope tied tightly about me."
Five minutes later he was riding out of Salem at full speed on the
fleetest horse to be found in the stable, and there was every reason for
him to believe that he would, in due season, deliver the message with
which he had been charged.
CHAPTER 3 IN BOSTON
THE light of the coming day had not yet appeared in the eastern sky when
the young messenger drew rein at the edge of Charlestown harbour, and sat
in the saddle, gazing curiously around, as he speculated upon the chances
of being ferried across to Boston.
It was well the journey was ended, for the heaving flanks of Master
Cotton's horse told that he had been ridden so long at full speed as to be
well-nigh exhausted.
Immediately on leaving Salem, Walter had debated in his mind as to the
choice of roads. By making a long detour he could ride directly into the
city of his destination; but it would be at the expense of considerable
time, which he believed to be precious.
On the other hand, by traversing the shortest road he would, as he now
did, find himself penniless, with a broad stretch of water to be crossed
before the message could be delivered.
"I shall get over in some way," he had said, as he arrived at a decision,
and now was come the time when that "some way" must be found.
"It is certain I shan't be able to take the horse with me," he said, after
a brief time of silence, "and I must look around for a place in which he
can be hidden."
By riding slowly along the shore-line, he soon found a spot where the
grass was luxuriant, which was hidden I from view of those on the road by
a heavy growth of trees, and here he resolved Master Cotton's horse should
be left to take care of itself. It was not probable the tired animal would
stray very far from where food could be had in such abundance, and Walter
made no other preparation for the halt than to secrete the saddle and
bridle in the thicket.
Returning to the landing-stage of the ferry-boat, he waited impatiently
for some signs of life on the water-front.
During fully half an hour he was forced to remain in idleness, while he
mentally reproached himself for not having taken the longest road, and
thereby arrived in Boston without being forced to depend upon a boat to
conclude the journey.
More than once was he tempted to take possession of one of the small craft
hauled up on the shore without the formality of asking the owner's
permission, but the thought that he had already put himself in a position
to be charged with theft deterred him from such a lawless proceeding.
Then, just as the day was beginning to break, a boat filled with sailors
rowed up to the landing. All the occupants save one disembarked without
paying any attention to the idle boy who was watching them intently, and
the little craft was being pushed off, when Walter cried,-
If you are going back to Boston I will gladly work the oars to pay for my
passage."
"Can you row?"
"As well as you."
"Then come aboard, and let me see how quickly you can pull to the other
shore."
The young messenger did not require a second invitation. He gave the boat
a vigorous push with his foot as he clambered over the bow, and the man in
charge had no reason to complain of his skill at the oars.
"If you want work, you should buy a boat and ply your trade as a
waterman," the sailor. said, when the short voyage had come to an end, and
Walter leaped ashore, impatient to conclude the mission with which he had
been intrusted.
"I want work that will pay," he said, halting for an instant; "but I don't
intend to find it as a boatman. Can you tell me where Master Paul Revere
lives?"
"Do you mean the lieutenant,-him as has set up for a goldsmith? "
"The very one."
"And you count on goin' into a shop, instead of pullin' boats, eh? I'll
wager you're a sailor who has given his captain the slip."
"I have never been beyond the sight of land, neither do I care to work in
a shop; but I have business which admits of no delay, and if you will give
me the information I shall be very grateful."
"Do you know where North Square is?"
"I have never been in Boston before."
"Then inquire of the first one you see. It is not far."
Walter waited to hear no more, but ran swiftly on in the direction he
supposed North Square might lay, and a kindly fortune guided his
footsteps, for when he had an opportunity to ask the desired question, he
was within a few paces of his destination.
Master Revere's shop was not yet opened, but the young messenger had
little difficulty in arousing the household, and a few moments later he
was standing in a room which, although not furnished with any pretension
to elegance, was more rich in ornamentation than Walter had ever fancied
could be found.
Master Revere did not keep him waiting very long; he had received too many
visitors at unseemly hours to make any delay, and the sun had but just
risen when Walter's mission was accomplished.
"You have come in good time, young sir," Master Revere said, when the boy
had repeated the message.
"The ship on which the stamp distributor for the Province of New Hampshire
sailed from London arrived last evening. I will see him at once, and
before noon you shall take to your friends such information as I have to
give. In the meanwhile you will eat breakfast, and then my eldest son
shall act as host, unless you prefer to sleep, for you have been
travelling all night."
"I can sleep later, sir; but now that I am in Boston I would like to see
the city."
"So you shall. You will find much that is fair and comely to look upon;
but beneath all the air of bravery is the disquietude of oppression, and
the sense of wrongs yet to be wiped out."
"In the province from which I have come we believe the remedy for
oppression to be among ourselves, sir," Walter replied, modestly.
"So it is, lad; and may you be one not lacking in wholesome love for your
country when the time for action arrives."
I fear a boy like me will be of but little service."
"The boys may be men before the time for stirring deeds shall come,"
Master Revere said, much as if speaking to himself; and then he added,
quickly, "You will break your fast with me."
Walter was not accustomed to such a meal as was speedily placed before
him; but the novelty of his surroundings did not prevent him from doing
full justice to the food.
When the master of the house set out to perform the duty expected of him
by his friends in Portsmouth, young John took charge of the guest, and
from that time until nearly noon Walter feasted his eyes upon such wonders
as he had never even dreamed about.
His first visit was to the magnificent building presented to the city by
Peter Faneuil, and then to that elm at the head of Essex Street beneath
the branches of which the association known as the Sons of Liberty had
sprung into existence.
Here young Revere told him what had occurred during the month of August,
when on the tree he was then gazing at had been found hanging an effigy of
Andrew Oliver, his majesty's distributor of stamps for the Province of
Massachusetts, and a boot, symbolical of Lord Bute, with Satan peeping out
of it as he displayed a copy of the Stamp Act. John also described the
scenes when the more lawless members of the community destroyed the
building which had been erected as the office for the sale of stamps, and
the dwelling of the Lieutenant Governor was sacked.
"Does your father believe it is by such a course we can be relieved of
oppression?" Walter asked in surprise, as John Revere concluded his story
with an account of the violence offered to several others of the king's
officers.
"By no means. He was among those who gave public expressions of regret
that such deeds should have been done."
Then young Revere told of the town-meeting which was held immediately
following the scenes of violence, and by the time he had concluded, the
boys were on North Square again, where Master Revere was ready to deliver
the message Walter was to take back to Portsmouth. "I have seen Master
George Messerve," he said, "and believe he fully sympathizes with us. He
has already publicly resigned the office of stamp distributor, and I doubt
not will be found on our side when the decisive moment comes."
Walter understood that with the message given was an intimation for him to
depart, and although he could have done full justice to a dinner, he took
his leave without delay.
There is no question but that Master Revere would have been more than
willing to both feed the young messenger and provide him with sufficient
funds to pay his passage across to Charlestown in the ferry-boat had he
any idea that Walter was penniless. The boy made no explanations, and his
host could not but believe he was fully and properly prepared for the long
journey before him.
Walter did not have as good fortune on his return as in the morning. When
he arrived at the shore he saw several boats going to and fro, but the
afternoon was considerably more than half spent before he succeeded in
finding a boatman who would allow him to work his passage.
Then, when he finally landed on the opposite shore, an hour was spent in
searching for the horse, which had wandered into the woods, and by the
time the boy was ready to begin the return journey the sun hung low in the
sky.
"It will be another night-ride," he muttered, as he leaped into the
saddle. "I did hope to reach Salem early in the evening, and so I might
have done had I been possessed of enough money to pay my ferriage. Master
Revere would have given it to me, but I could not tell him that I, who had
been received into the ranks of the Sons of Liberty, had not so much as a
shilling."
He was comparatively fresh when he drew rein in front of Master Cotton's
stable shortly before midnight, and although the time could well have been
spent in slumber, he devoted an hour to caring for the weary steed who had
borne him so bravely.
To awaken Master Cotton was not a portion of Walter's plan. That gentleman
had shown himself to be of such a timid nature that the young messenger
believed he would pot be pleased at receiving any information; therefore,
as soon as the horse had been cared for, he started out of Salem on foot,
intending to make himself a bed on the ground when he should be within
shelter of the woods.
As he walked rapidly on in the cool night air, feeling refreshed because
of the opportunity of stretching his legs after sitting in the saddle so
long, the desire for slumber fled from his eyes. There was no reason why
he should halt until he felt drowsy again, and he continued on, thinking
alternately of what he had accomplished, of the mill he hoped at some
future time to see erected on the small tract of land bordering the
Pascataqua River which his father had bequeathed him, and of the taxes to
be paid by some means within twenty-four hours of his arrival.
With so much to occupy his mind, he forgot his weariness, and the hours
went by without his being aware of the passage of time.
When he first realized how near he was to the starting point of his long
journey, a rosy light in the east told of the coming sun, and he marveled
that the night had gone so quickly.
Half an hour later, as the knowledge of distance traversed brought with it
weariness, and he was about to seek a thicket where his slumbers would not
be disturbed, a noise as of some one approaching brought him to a full
stop.
In another instant he recognized the form of his friend, Stephen Kidder,
in the distance, and he ran toward him, crying,-
"What brings you here at this hour, Stephen?"
"I left home at midnight to meet you."
"Meet me? It would have been easier to have waited I there until I
arrived."
"It is to prevent your arrival that I have come," and Stephen had very
much the appearance of a bearer of evil tidings.
"What is the matter? Why do you look so glum? Is my mother well?".
"Yes; but sorrowing."
"Tell me what has happened."
"Your cattle and horses have been sold by the sheriff."
"How can that be? It is not forty-eight hours since they were attached,"
"That is true; but yet they have been sold, Samuel Haines is at the bottom
of the mischief, and he it was who bought them. He is now declaring you
shall be arrested for stealing his horse, and Master McCleary sent me to
warn you not to come home until the matter can be arranged."
"Not go home!" Walter repeated, like one bewildered. "Where, then, shall I
go ?"
"Your mother bade me ask you why you did not visit the land on the
Pascataqua? It is not likely you would be searched for there, and I should
be able to find you whenever it might be necessary."
Walter was silent a few moments, as if trying to under stand all that had
befallen him, and then said, slowly,-
"Haines would never dare to have me arrested. He took me prisoner
unlawfully, and I had a right to make my escape if possible."
"That is very true; yet, because you are one of the Sons of Liberty,
Master McCleary thinks an arrest will surely follow."
"Is it not safe for me to see my mother a few moments? "
"She herself told me to warn you against coming. That half-breed, Jim, has
been seen near the farm twice since yesterday noon, and he can be there
for no other purpose than to give notice of your arrival."
"But, Stephen, I can't go up the Pascataqua without some preparation. I
must at least have my musket and ammunition; otherwise, I would stand a
good chance of starving to death."
"I have arranged for that portion of the business. Your knapsack, well
filled by your mother, and everything you may need during a few weeks in
the woods, is hidden a couple of miles down the road. I brought the things
as far away from the farm as I thought necessary, and then left them in
the bushes."
CHAPTER IV ON THE PASCATAQUA
TWENTY-FOUR hours after Stephen Kidder had warned Walter Neal against
returning to Portsmouth the latter was skirting the west bank of the
Pascataqua River, within sight of the tract of land whereon he hoped to
see at some day a grist-mill owned by himself.
When Stephen selected such goods as he thought Walter might need during
his enforced retreat, he did not neglect anything which would possibly be
useful to the fugitive, and the result was that when the young messenger
started through the pathless forest, his load was so heavy as to retard
his progress very decidedly.
Therefore it was that on the following morning he had not yet arrived at
his proposed destination, although it was but a comparatively short
distance from Portsmouth.
He had slept in the woods where night overtook him, and at the first faint
light of day was making a frugal breakfast of the bread and cheese sent by
his mother.
When the gloom of night had been dispersed by the heralds of the
approaching sun, Walter was at that point on the river from which he could
see the landmarks of his tract, and the knowledge that he was about to
enter on his own possessions served to cheer his drooping spirits.
"If it is necessary to skulk around here in the woods to avoid being seen
by Sam Haines, there is no reason why I should not make the most of my
time," he said to himself, as hope began to spring up once more in his
breast. "There is little chance I shall be able to raise any money for the
mill now, when I have been defrauded of a goodly portion of my poor
possessions, but I can at least make preparations for the day when I shall
be in a position to carry out my plans. It is better to work than remain
idle."
It was the first time since he took leave of his friend Stephen that the
mental burden had been lightened, and now he pressed forward eagerly,
impatient to begin the work resolved upon.
There was very much which he could do toward making ready for the erection
of that wished-for mill, and he felt confident the labour would not be
useless, although performed so far in advance of the building operations.
With this idea in mind, his first care was to select the most advantageous
spot for a mill, and to this end he deposited his burden on the shore of
the river, where it could readily be found again, after which he set about
inspecting the property.
He spent several hours in this work, and had fully decided upon the
location for the building when he was startled by hearing what sounded
very like a human voice among the underbrush a short distance from the
shore.
With his gun held ready for instant use in case any danger threatened, he
went cautiously in the direction from which the noise appeared to have
come, and after a brief time threw aside the weapon with an exclamation of
dismay.
In a dense portion of the forest, where were several aged trees partially
decayed at their base, he dimly saw the figure of a man, apparently pinned
to the ground by the heavy branches of a fallen hemlock.
He was sufficiently versed in woodcraft to understand that the unfortunate
had either felled a tree which had fallen upon him, or passed beneath one
of the giants of the forest at the precise moment when its rotten trunk
gave way under the burden of the enormous top.
A low moan from the sufferer told he was yet alive, and at the same time
proclaimed that relief must soon come if death was to be cheated of its
prey.
"Hold out a few minutes longer, friend," Walter cried, cheerily. "I must
have an axe before I can do very much toward getting you free from that
timber."
There was no reply; the poor wretch's strength was nearly exhausted, and
the boy understood that he must work, with all possible speed if he would
save a human life.
"It seems that my coming here may be of more use than simply hiding from
Sam Haines," he cried, as he ran with all speed toward the spot where the
goods had been left. "I have been grumbling because Stephen brought an axe
instead of a hatchet, but now I should be able to do very little without
it."
Ten minutes later he was chopping furiously at the imprisoning branches,
using due care to prevent additional injury to the helpless man, and when
so much of the foliage had been cut away as to give him a clear view of
what was beneath, he exclaimed in surprise,-
"An Indian! What could have brought him so near the town?"
Then he forgot the colour of the sufferer, thought not of what his kind
had done in the way of savage cruelty to helpless women and children, but
devoted all his strength and energies to releasing him.
The wretch was so nearly dead as to be unable to render any assistance to
his would-be rescuer, and at least half an hour elapsed before Walter
could drag him from beneath the heavy weight which had so nearly deprived
him of life.
When this work was accomplished, it seemed to have been in vain, so far as
saving life was concerned; but, fortunately, Walter did not cease his
efforts. Dragging the apparently lifeless body to the river, he applied
such restoratives as were at hand, and after a short time had the
satisfaction of seeing the red man open his eyes.
"Better not try," he said, as the Indian attempted to speak. "You have
had such a squeezing as would discourage a bear, and it will take some
time to get over it. Luckily I haven't much of anything to do except take
care of you, and I'll warrant we shall soon have you around as well as
ever. So far as I can make out, no bones have been broken, though I doubt
if you could go through the same experience again and come out anywhere
near whole."
There was nothing more he could do to relieve the sufferer, and after
cautioning him to remain quiet, Walter set about putting up some kind of a
shelter against the elements.
A "lean-to " of brush was soon erected, and in one corner the boy made a
bed of fir boughs, upon which he placed the sufferer, who, after the first
attempt, made no effort to speak.
Walter divided with the Indian his store of bread and cheese, and had the
satisfaction of seeing the latter eat heartily.
"I reckon you're all right if you can get away with as much food as a well
person, and it's time I did something toward laying in a stock of
provisions. Will you stay here while I go after game? There are partridges
enough, even though deer should be shy."
"I wait," the Indian said, with a sigh as of relief; and the boy, gun in
hand, plunged into the thicket.
The result of this first hunting excursion was half a dozen plump birds,
and Walter had seen such signs as told he would have but little difficulty
in bagging a deer on the following morning.
During the remainder of the day Walter acted as nurse and cook; but never
once did the Indian speak.
Next morning, before the sun appeared, he was out to replenish the larder,
returning with the hind-quarters of a deer and, when a plentiful supply of
steaks from these had been broiled over the coals, the Indian ate like one
in perfect health.
"You'll do now, I reckon. It doesn't stand to reason that you feel like
moving around very much, therefore, you shall stay here while I go to
work."
Then he set about making the foundations for a mill that might never be
completed, and when it was so dark that he could no longer see to work, he
felt satisfied with the progress made.
The Indian had cooked supper, and the boy showed that he appreciated the
culinary efforts, rude though they were.
"You know Jim Albert?"
This question was asked when an hour had been spent in almost perfect
silence by the occupants of the lean-to, and the boy was startled both, by
the name and the voice.
"Yes; I know him," Walter replied, grimly, thinking of the part played in
his capture by the half-breed.
"Big rascal!"
"You're right. I know it isn't just the thing to give way to revengeful
thoughts, but some day that scoundrel shall answer to me for what has been
done. If he and Sam Haines had remained where they belonged, I wouldn't be
here hiding as if I really was a thief."
The Indian did not continue the conversation, although Walter gave him
every encouragement, and at an early hour the tired boy sought the repose
to be found in slumber.
When he set out for work next morning the Indian accompanied him, and
during the day laboured faithfully hewing trees, or gathering rocks which
were to form the foundation of the proposed mill.
"I didn't fancy having an Indian for a companion at first, but it begins
to look as if finding him under that tree would be a fortunate thing for
me. We are getting this place into shape very fast, and when it is
possible for me to raise the money, it won't be necessary to spend very
much time making ready for the more serious portion of the work."
During the week which followed, with the exception of the Sabbath, the two
laboured industriously, save at such tittle as one or the other spent in
hunting, and Walter could see the outlines of the structure he intended
one day to build.
A large pile of rocks had been rolled together to form the lower walls,
huge timbers were hewn and roughly "squared " for the framework, and a
road from the riverbank to the highway, four miles distant, was "blazed" a
goodly portion of the way.