Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
Perens
?
THE LOG CABIN LIBRARY.
13
For himself he wanted nothing. The glory of his success
was an all-sufficient reward. But his‘ofticers and men deserved
a more substantial recompense, and Washington gladly agreed
to give certificates which would be cashed when there was money
in -the national treasury.
“Tam glad,” said tle great chief, ‘that a son of Virginia has
been the first to teaéh these lessons to the British Lion, who
has so long claimed the supremacy of the seas. ‘The service
you have rendered never could be more opportune. With the
artillery and ammunition captured J will make General Gage
too hot in his position to be comfortable, and “he shall‘ leave
Boston, or I will capture him where he is!’ . L
Washington now detailed officers to receive the prisoners, and
also to receive and transport the cargo of the’ captured ship, and
he offered, if Pemberton. destroyed it, to commission the large
yessel and man her for him.
“No, general—my little Rattlesnake is all the command I de-
sire,” said Pemberton. ‘I have now plenty of powder and shot
for ber long gun and swivels—she is fast and handy, and I can
do better service in her than 1 could in a fifty-gun frigate.”
Pemberton made his stay short at headquarters, forhe felt
anxious about his prize and wanted to get back to her as soon as
he could. And he got there none too soon.
CHAPTER XVI.
HUNTING FOR MULES.
Repulsed by Maude Pemberton, his own daughter working
every traverse to prevent his further annoying Maude, and Mr.
Pemberton himself resolutely giving him no chance to open a
private discussion, Mr. Maynard found himself in a “fix” to
use a provincialism more expressive than elegant.
“I must take counsel either of Lord Dunmore or Spence
Sturges,” he said to himself, ‘and I'll take it alone. I'll leave
Fanny here which will be a good excuse for my return, when I
decide how to act.”
The next morning Fanny and Maude were quite agreeably sur-
prised to hear Mr. Maynard say that business required his re-
turn to the Cedars, but he was willing Fanny should remain a
few days with her very dear friend Miss Pemberton; he would
come for her when her visit was out.
Fanny made no objection to her father leaving, but she said
to Maude: .
“I fear he means more mischief. If he was in earnest in what
he said to you, he is not one who gives up an idea easily, or ra-
signs a wish which once enters his heart.”
-“Tf you will not think hard of it, father can have him watched
without his knowing it,'and we can be informed every day where
he goes and what he does.”
“Oh, do have it done, dear Maude. It is hard to be suspi-
cious of one’s own father, but I am and with good reason for it.
I know that he is a Tory at heart, and yet he has not breathed a
’ word on that side since he has been here.”
“Nothing but the single dark hint at confiscation,’
Maude. .
Soon after breakfast Mr. Maynard had his horse saddled and
with his servant following, rode away. Twenty minutes after
Mr. Pemberton visited a neighbor who was a son of Liberty and
that neighbor under his direction, started ont his oldest son to
look up choice stock andiprice it, at “The Cedars” and elsewhere,
ostensibly-—but his real duty was to keep a minute watch on all
the motions of Mr.. Maynard, and to report daily, if possible, at
any'rate as often as he could the same to Mr. Pemberton.
This young man was also a Son of Liberty, holding all its signs
and signals and able to call aid in almost every part of the
country, should he need it. . :
Little did Mr. Maynard suspect when shortly after his arrival
atthe Cedars, this young man called to see if he had any
draught mules for sale, that he had come for a different purpose
than the purchase of mules, but his answer that he had no time
to see his overseer—he was going away, satisfied young Stebbins,
and he merely said, ‘I’ll call again, sir,” and rode away,
He did not go out of sight of the Cedars, . however, .and when
Mr, Maynard rode off to the dwelling of Spence Sturges, he was
close behind him.
Spence Sturges was in poor plight to receive even so intimate
a friend as Mr. Maynard, but when he was told he had ridden up
he ordered him to be admitted for he wished to,press his suit for
the hand of Fanny Maynard to an early conclusion.
The face and head of the unhappy man were almost hidden in
large wrappings of cotton and oil, -and his hands also, and he
groaned bitterly as he told how he had suffered at the hands of
Ned Pemberton, and since in trying to have the stains removed,
whieh had made him literally a ‘blackamvor.” ‘
“You shall have revenge, my dear fellow,” said Mr. Maynard.
” said
“I am going to see Lord Dunmore; and he will plan out a sweet .
revenge for all your wrongs and suffering.”
‘Did that man come with you?” asked Sturges, looking at
some one standing in{tlhe open door-way.
“No, sir, leame by myself, to see if you had any mules to
sell, and a nigger out. there’ said I must see you to know. No
one else did trading here.”
Mr. Maynard turned in surprise. The same young man who
wanted to buy mules of him at the Cedars was here, and on the
same errand. :
“Ihave no mules—so get out of here!”
angrily.
Young Stebbins was ready to go. He had heard important
news, and knew where Mr. Maynard was going next.
So he rode to the aearest Son of Liberty, wrote a report to
Mr. Pemberton, sealed and sent it off. He also here put on a
new disguise, for he meant, if possible, to be present, at the in-
terview between Mr. Maynard and Lord Dunmore, so as to get
at the plans of revenge they intended to form.
. As soon as the intruder was gone, Sturges, rather petulantly,
said: :
“J heard you was down at Basil Pemberton’s visiting, with
Miss Fanny.”
“Yes. Iwent there by advice of Lord Dunmore to see how
the land lay. His lordship and I have formed plans, that, when
culminated, will make Ned Pemberton wince worse than you did
under his tortures. We'll break his heart, sir—we’ll break his
heart!”
“I’d like to know how,” said Sturges, sullenly.
“We cannot divulge our plans yet, my dear boy,
is set, you shall see the trap sprung.”
“Oh, very well, keep your secrets if you want to,
is to know when my wedding is to come off.”
“My dear boy, you’re in no fit state to think of weddings now.
You just told me that you are raw from the crown of your head
to your shoulders, the skin all off, and you can hardly feed your-
self with your hands in the condition they are.”
“I don’t care. This is not going to last always, and I want
the day set.”
“When you are able to come over to the Cedars, we'll talk
over it. It is but decent to consult Fanny about it.”
Sturges was sullenly silent. Even he, with no delicacy to
speak of, felt the force of this last argument. But he spoke in
a few moments.
“TI want it settled some way, as soon asI can. If these rebels
get thé upper hand, we’ll have to sell out and leave.”
“They must not, cannot get the upper hand!” said May-
nard, earnestly, ‘His majesty has his tens of thousands of dis-
ciplined troops, able generals, great fleets, and last, but not
least, millions in gold! What can withstand him?’ Not these
rebels, 2 mere handful of half armed, half-clad ragamutflins,
without leadership or discipline.”
“They fought sharp at Bunker Hill!”
“Yes. ‘They were cornered and couldn't get away. They had
to fight or die, and they got whipped at last!” .
“Yes, after they had killed five on our side to one on theirs!”
said Sturges. ‘‘A half-dozen such victims as that will use up,all
the king’s troops on this side of the ocean!” wr
“Tt was a hard-won battle, and a dear-bought victory!” said
Mr. Maynard. ‘But the king’s troops were too merciful at tirst.
Now they will know what todo. The rebels must be extermi-
nated root and branch.”
“How is it that you visit, eat, drink, and lodge with a rebel?
I don’t see much loyalty in that.” .
“I tell you it was for an object; you'll seo through it by and
by. Even now I’m going to report to Lord Dunmore what I
have seen and heard.”
“Well, when a Virginia gentleman has to play spy, when he
should be master, P'll give up.” ‘
Maynard was stung by the sarcasm of Sturges, but he passed
it over, and soon after, mounting his horse, rode on.
growled Sturges,
but when all
All I want
CHAPTER XVII. ‘
MR. BLUNT. :
Mr. Maynard had ridden on his way to the Government House
until he was within a mile of the tavern where he mtended to
pass the night, and from which he could easily finish his jour-
ney in three hours the next morning, when he heard the ringing
of horse-shoes behind him. As he brought no servant from the
Cedars, he looked back to see who rode so near. :
Tt was an old man, whose long, thick hair was snow-white,
and whose grizzled beard covered all the lower part of his face.
He was dressed quite respectably, and was very well mounted,
so as his ride had become lonesome, Mr. Maynard was very