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LACYIN THE TRAP, 18
quisher. ‘‘He wears a beard when he prom-
enades the streets at night, but that thin d.s-
guise will not save him. I wonder what he
would say if he knew that the fair Esta Gil-
mer wasa prisoner in New York? He would
fly the city no doubt to escape the hangman’s
noose which awaits him and Captain Lacy,
his confederate.”.
Hugh and his men did not follow the spy,
for one of the soldiers: was badly injured,
and had to be helped from the scene of the
. encounter.
“It takes Oger a long time tofind a glove,”
thought the young tory.. ‘*The fellow: may
have played me false. No! I am too cruel.
He has followed a suspicious figure, and will
come back by-and-by with news.” -
What would: Hugh have said if he had
known that his faithful servant had fallen
into the hands of the man he had called Har-
old Simcoe? = > er
He might have left his comrades and pur-
sued Lim. : Do
CHAPTER VII.
LACY IN THE TRAP.
That same night a small boat bearing two
burly negroes crossed Long Island Sound
and grounded on the Connecticut beach, not
far from the mouth of asmall stream that
enters the sound between the Housatonic
and New York, So
The occupants of the boat had. hardly
stepped on shore when a stern ‘thalt!”
sounded in their ears, and they found
themselves confronted by the figure of a
sentry. ‘ .
-*Weare Cesah and Brutus, dat’s all!”
was the response. ‘‘De ole debbil is to
pay at Massa Tabor’s house. Whar’s Cap’n
acy? :
“At the hut.”
“Sartin?”
‘“‘He was there ten minutes ago.”
The two blacks darted away and soon
reached a log building, from the interior of
which came 3 number of voices, as of men
in conversation. — - . vos
The stars of midnight had long since gone
- down the pathway of the sky, and the cool
winds that harbinger dawn were blowing
down the sound.
“Cap’n Lacy’s in dar, I°kin heah him,”
exclaimed one of the blacks, who had lis-
tened for a minute to the voices within.
“No use standing hyar while Missy Esta: is
nobody: knows whar,’? and the speaker
knocked at the door. /
It was instantly opened and the blacks
sprang into the room, whose burning logs on
’ the hearth revealed ten or twelve men clad
in half sailor costumes. - .
‘*Cap’n Lacy, Missy Esta’s bin carried off
to’ads New York,” said Cesar, singling out
& handsome young man, whose eyes flashed
at the words, :
“Carried off, Cesar? No! you must be
mistaken,” oe wo
“De rest am dar, cap’n, but de bird am -
flown,” persisted the negro, ‘‘Dey wculdn't
hev found de bird if dem big guns in de
sound had not called me and Brutus to de.
water to see what de rumpus was. . Ole Cx-
sah tell no fibs dis time, cap’n. . Missy Esta.
gone for sure, and dat young scapegulius,. :
Hugh Marston, him at de bottom of de whole
ting.” . a re
.‘*Hugh Marston!” grated Captain Lacy.
“Why did I let the young tory off so easily
when I’ had him in my power—forty times
within the last two months? But go on, —
Cesar. Tellme all you know about this in-
sult.” -
“We don’t. know bery much about it.
When Brutus and me come home from de
water we find de house. empty and Missy
Esta gone clear off. Den we find tracks in
de front yard and see Esta goin’ ’way from
de house to’ads Hugh Marston’s. Wid de
lantern we foller dem tracks straight to de
young debbil’s house, whar we see a lot of
hoss tracks dat go to’ads New York.” -
“That settles it!” cried Lester Lacy,
‘‘Hugh Marston has divested himself com-:
pletely of the thin disguise he has worn
these several years. He has arrested Esta,>
and carried her. to New York, hoping to re-
venge himself on me and others whom he
hates,” . os
‘*Him know somethin’ about de contraband
goods, Mussa Lacy,” suddenly cried Cesar.
“Lust night him come prowling around wid
a cut’s eye under his coat. ‘I see’ him: and
foller him from de house, whar he lied to
Missy Esta bout Massa Tubor, to de powder
-house, whar he try to lift de bourds. All at
once I fall on him like a mountain and
afore him know who cotch him almost, he .
‘| warinde sound ‘wid his mouf full o’ salt
water.” .
Some of the men laughed at the negro’s ac-
count of his exploit, but Captain Lacy looked
‘serious,
‘‘Hugh Marston is more than suspicious,
and that means that Clinton’s efforts to sup-
press patriot smuggling in the sound will:
succeed if we do not act promptly,” he said,°
addressing the men. ‘'Caxsar should have
reported this before now.” - sot
“Did not tink it impo’tant enough, cap’n,
kase Hugn Marston find nothing in de ole
house. Den I more dan half. b’lieved dat de
young rascal was drowned in de water, jest |
as he ought to hev been. Him play Jonah
pretty well, to come out alive and carry off
lissy Esta, de mean scapegallus! ,
‘‘Men,” said Lacy, hardly waiting for
the negro to finish, ‘‘this is a matter that
calls for prompt action. Iam going to New
York.” :
‘In to de jaws ob death?” cried the ne-
gro.
‘Silence! Igo alone. We have friends
a