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Fi As his breath was wholly shut off and
+ strange lights began to dance before his
; eyes he emitted hoarse sounds and gasped:
“Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! Vl open
the door.”
? “Act quick, or it will be too late.”
4 Ned heard the jingling of the keys and.
; the rasping of one of them over the iron,
: then the jailer. grew so weak he nearly
The prisoner had to hold him up by
{{< sheer force, and to give him a little ani-
mation he relaxed his grasp a little.
man gulped in a little air he
made a frantic attempt to find the key-
hole, and suddenly shot the bolt back.
gs the door swung open. Ned had to let
: go his grip, and the cunning rascal made
; 8n attempt to slam the door shut in Ned’s
< face; but the boy anticipated some such
: move as this, and got out in the corridor.
‘ A curse ripped_ rom the jailer’s lips,
and he ‘rushed awa
» Ned could not seu “him i in the gloom, but
he lit a match an nd ound the fellow’s pis-
tol, and picked it
, “The door lies to the east!” he reflected,
as he listened to the sound of the man’s
retreating footsteps. “He is going in the
opposite direction, and will soon arm him-
self and return. I must go!”
were number of “political
prisoners in the old sugar-house, and they
now began to call to Ned to let them out.
He lit another match and saw them
peering out of their cells at him, and seiz-
ing the jailer’s bunch of keys he rapidly
unlocked some of the doors and the prison-
ers swarmed into the corridor.
Just then there sounded several excited
voices, and the patter of flying footsteps
a the other end of the corridor, and Ned
s
uted
“The jailer is coming back with help.
All of you run in the other direction, The
- ‘door lies there, and I will hold them back.”
“Don’t delay too long!” gasped one of
the prisoners.
Away they all rushed, and Ned faced
the sound of footsteps.
One of the party was carrying a lan-
tern, and the boy-aimed the pistol toward
them and let a shot fly,
_ CHAPTER XXII.
THE DEFEAT IN- BROOKLYN.
ingly through the corridor, and there came
a terrible yell of pain from the jailer as
the bullet, struck him, and he fell to the
floor, his companions halting.
Instantly Ned ran after the prisoners.
Tie heard them beating against the
street door with some heavy object each
fearful blow making the house shal
“They will batter the: way_ open!” ‘ymut-
tered the boy.
A moment later he joined them, and
saw by the dim light ‘that straggled in
through a narrow window that they had
hold of a joist, and all of the half dozen
were holding-it and using the end as a
battering ram, with vn they were
smashing the heavy door
Blow after blow: was struck, and sud-
cenly the door yielded.
rushed out, Ned after #)
aman paused, for it was now every-
one for himself. :
\ Ned headed for Mr. Ely’s house, con:
vineed that he was spotted and known to
Governor Tryon and his followers.
That he would be followed and attacked
on every occasion. he felt sure, and
“knew shat his life would be. in constant
dange!
That his idea about the matter was not
wrong was amply proved soon after he
‘his story.
He was in the parlor with Dorothy talk-
ing to her near one of the windows when
she suddenly caught sight of a large num-
ber’ of people outside, most of whom she
saw vine British soldiers.
, Ned,” she exclaimed,
the wexhins of this gathering?”
Trouble for us, I am
swered, after the first glance, -
An officer in uniform-and several sol-
diers now mounted the stoop, and banged
at the front door in no gentle manner.
“Open in the king’s. name!” he shouted.
Of course, no one answered; then he
yelled:
“Smash down the’ door!”
“The soldiers had axes and: rained a
shower of blows against the doo:
“They are raiding the house!”
claimed Mr. Ely, out in the hall. “All
hands Jrepare to escape out the secret exit
at once!”
Its Was evident that there would be great
trouble for anyone caught on the premises
by the British, so Ned seized Dorothy's
arm and as
“Where is sour father, dear?”
“Gone to. Boston,” she answered.
“what is
“Oh,
Ned, won’t you look out for me
™ «Why, of course!” ‘he smiled,
along!” :
“Come
\ -
e
It went down with a crash, and they all
reached the patriot’s house, where he told Hie’
” .
raid,” he an. it?”
He hurried downstairs with her, and
found a number of his boys in the secret
cellar, and addressed a few words to them.
Then they all started for the exit in the
ouse in the back street.
But to their alarm they found that there
was a large cordon of British soldiers
massed at the front of the building com- |
pletely cutting off all chance of their
escape.
The patriots were in a highly danger-
ous situation
Bosides ned and Dorothy there were
twenty of the Minute Boys and ten of the
patriots in the house.
Ned noticed at least thirty of His
friends: among the crowd outside, and
ae saw that. Joe Wheeler was among
x
=
Sos knew that the patriots were being
raided by the British, for he had seen
Ned’s escape from the old sugar house and
is return to the residence of Mr.
herefore started a riot by Ealing
all the boys to pelt thé’soldiers with stones
and other missiles.
In a moment there was a fierce fight go-
ing on, the redeeats turning on the mob
and charging them with bayonets.
n the excitement that followed the pa-
triots in the house escaped into the street
unnoticed, except by the Minute Boys, and
joined in. with the yelling and ‘excited
people.
As Ned and Dorothy came out Joe
rushed up to them
“I knew you were in there and wanted
to get out!” he exp!
“We owe you our lives!” muttered Ned
gratefully.
“Follow mei” said Joe. “We will go to
a he place where we will soon: find
all_the ‘boys assembling. Come along
ami
7 hurried them off through devious by-
ways, and they soon reached the East
River, in the gloom of the dark night.
There was a sailing vessel moored at
the old pier, and they boarded her and
found some of: the Doys already there,
while others were com
In an hour a hands were aboard and
Joe said to t
mma are at marked in New York, and
ust get away before the British have a
chanee to kill us, It is no longer safe
here,”
“Where is this boat bound for?” asked
The solitary pistol-shot rang deafen- | Ned
“Harlem Heights, where we will meet
Washington,” answered. Wheeler, “There’s
going to be a great deal of trouble in New
ork now.”
. oman my father?” asked Dorothy, anx-
ious!
“A messenger has gone on ‘to Boston to
apprise him of the situation.”
\That relieved her, and as Ned was with
her she knew that she would be well taken
eare of until she met her father again,
At midnight the schooner swung out in-
to the river and glided aways carry ing all
the fugitives to a place of s
Several hours later they red their
destination, and ail went ashore and were
by a couple of patriot soldiers to one
of the. big. defences which had been
rected,
Washington was there, and as he had
eard all about them he. greeted Ned
pleasantly and said to Doro’
“If Ned can get you back to Mrs. Bar-
rett’s house at Concord you will doubtiess
be safer than anywhere else until the
struggle is over. The British are, leaving
that neighborhood now for g
“I shall follow 2, advice, sir,” she
answere “T iow your enemies
tried to poison peak “and am glad you es-
caped.. And what became of your house-
‘zener, the girl who tried to kill you for
“My dear,” replied Washington, “she is
free and still in my service, for have
since learned that-she was really faithful
to me, and was trying to fool her villain-
ous lover, ‘who was looking in at the kit-
chen goor as she came in with the poisoned
“Then she would have told you about
“Undoubtedly, if Ned had not fore-
“And Hickey?”
“In the presence of twenty thousand
‘people he was hanged to_a tree on the
28th of June, in Colonel Ruger’s field, a
little east of the Bowery. Mayor Mathews
and twenty other conspirators were ar-
rested by order 0 Provincial Con-
gress, The hanging of Hickey was the
fst military: execution of the Continental
arms
irl shuddered and turned away,
and a Nell asked Washington:
“Has. anything. been done to frustrate
Governor Tryon’s plot to take the city,
and spike-the guns at these forts?”
“They dare not garry. out their plan now
I have heard from
one of your spies that General, Howe has
landed’ with nine thousand troops on
Staten Island awaiting. the atrival of his
DAYS
brother with a large fleet of British regu
lars—and German _hirelings. - With the
broken forces of Clinton and Parker and
others they will have an ay of thirty
thousand men to a » but we will
never surrender, although 1 my whole effec-
tive force only *numbers eleven thousand
Realizing that all the fighting of that
region was sure to take place close to
New York, Ned made preparations to take
Dorothy away to Concord, as it was safest
there at the present time. Then the pair
set out on horses
as a long trip, but when they finally
reached their destination Mrs. Barrett re-
ceived the girl with openvarms,
father arrived there from Boston
before Ned started back for New York,
and he left his sweetheart in safe hands.
By the time Ned got back to New York
a large army of British was threatening
the- city and its vicinity.
Ships of war had been run up the IIud-
son river past the American batteries, and
were threatening the people back of Man-
hattan Island. heir object was to kee
open free communication with Carleton on
Like Champlain, and to furnish arms to
the Tories in Westchester county.
Most of Washington’s army were poorly
armed militiamen and a regiment of artil-
lery furnished with old iron field- pieces,
and not a skilled gunner to work t
Preparations for a struggle went on
rapidly. Opposite. Fort Washington the
hulks of vessels were sunk in the channel
of the Hudson, and Fort Lee was erected
beyond on the Palisades,
On yarious points of Manhattan Island
batteries were built, and a body of troops
under General Greene went over to Brook-
lyn to take post.
A small detachment was placed on Gov-
ernor’s Island, General, Clinton took the
militia to Westchester; Parson’s brigade
was posted at Kip’s Bay, foot of 84th
street, and a troop was sent to Paulus
Hook, where Jersey City now stands.
ullives n succeeded Greene on Long Isl-
and, and placed guards in a line of de-
fences ‘that extended from the Narrows to
Jamaica, and ine from Greenwood
Cemetery to the navy yard.
Later on General Putnam tock command’
on Long Island,
. The leaders of the British were Gen-
erals Clinton, Howe, and Cornwallis, and
Washington, accompanied by Ned, went
over the river to see Putnam and arrange
upon a plan to harass the British when
they arrive
While they were talking. to Putnam at
three o’clock in the morning of August 27,
word came that- Putnam's. pickets, south
of Greenwood, had been driven in by th
Hessians under Generals De Heister and
Knyphausen. Putnam ordered Brigadicr-
General Lord Sterling with some Dela-
xepulse the
Putnam,” veal Washingten, “you had
better place a competent’ guard in the
Bedford and Jamaiea Pass, or Clinton and
Cornwallis may by: Jo gain the rear of
your forces, and cause you scme tr ouble
Washington then ‘Tett with Ned to: go
cne of the redoubts on Brooklyn Hetnte
Putnam disregarded his‘ orders, and was
afterward badly beaten by the Bri
s couriers came in telling Washington
of the fight and retreat at Gowanus Creek,
Sullivan’s defeat at Prospect Park, and
der to the Germans, a groan escaped him.
“It looks bad for us, Ned,” he said to
the boy. “We have lost five hundred men,
and five hundred more are prisoners, and
are to be taken to the prison ships in the
Kast River, perhaps to perish.
“They outnumber our forces, sir, Lhave
organized the Minute Boys of Concord
into a fighting company, and they are at
your disposal n
“Leave them. “under. command of Joe
Wheeler, 8 and you remain with me. I need
a gor y to xo among the enemy and
find oe their plans.”
shall attend to that at once.”
Then go, and when you come hack
will find me at the home cf Philip Living-
ston, on Brooklyn Heights, where we ,are
fo-hold a council of war. I may be forced
retreat back to New York, and have
sent word: to General Heath at Kings-
bridge, to send us all his flat-bottom boats
to transport the troops over the river if it
becomes necessary.’
When this fight occurred, in the night,
afterward, a Tory woman sent a negro
servant. with a note to Howe to apprise
him of it, but a Hessian sentinel stopped
erman could not under-
that the negro uttered, so
that the retreat was not suspected by the
British.
In the meantime Ned had set out on his
perilous mission under cover of the dark-
ness, and headed for the British.
Howe’s men were encamped before -the
American lines on the night following the
battle, repared to besiege the works of
the re
The boy had taken the precaution to dis-
ware. and Maryland troops, to march and th
Sterling’s vive fight, defeat, and surren-.
guise himself carefully, and Bis objective
point was Howe’s hea qua rte.
As he stole across the gloomy fields like
a shadow he thought:
“Howe is a sluggish, indolent fellow,
devotee to pleasure, and v impatient
phen business interferes with him. If he
had gone ahead as Clinton-might have
done he would have eaptured the whole
American army. - So much the better for
us. Ha! What’s th attain?’
The drops had begun to fall.
Ned now caught sight of the British”
campfires ‘fvinkling through the darkness
ahead, and he soon saw the outer line of
pickets.
To pass them was now the problem.
“Only a bold stroke will get me through
their lines,” he reflected.
Je crept nearer to the sentry; and as~
the man walked his post he came close,
and Ned leaped at him and caught him by
the throat, in an effort to choke him into
silefice.
But the man’s finger pressed the trigger
of his musket, and there was a blinding
flash and a loud report that aroused the
camp,
CHAPTER XXIII.
SENTENCED TO DEATH, °
With an angy ery Ned flung the figure
of the sentry from him, and the man fell
to the greund gasping and writhing.
The sound of hurried footsteps ap-
proaching from all sides came to the
young spy’s ears, and he started off on a
“te was so dark that he could scarcely -
ce a yard ahead, and the rain was then
eating down in torren
Suddenly he heard someone coming di-
rectly toward him, and he flung himself
rete thé wet grouud and waited breath-
es!
Two Fedeoats rushed past, within a few
feet of hi
In the ‘loom they failed to sce the boy,
and the moment they were gone he’ rose
and swiftly sped toward the campfires.
There was an old farmhouse near by
which had been occupied by a family
named Lefferts, and the boy ran toward it
and reached the
Te dimly made Pout a sentry pacing ‘to
and fro before the door, his figure an
shouldered musket being "outlined against
the light streaming through one of the
windows.
Ned stole around to the rear and finding
a door, he opened it and crept into a dark
Kitchen, where he paused to Listen.
e could hear the excited voices of
the people around the sentinel whom he
had assaujted, the rain was pattering
against the glass window panes, and from
‘ont of the house there came the low
murmur of men’s voices in conversation.
The hall door stood wide open, and Ned
stole into it and made his way like a
shadew toward’ the front of the farm-
32
Use.
Ife presently Ew a light streaming out
‘| through the vices. around and
pressing his a panel he heard
voices inside the yoom where the light was
burning.
One of them he recognized as the voice
of Lieutenant Bas another was the
heavy voice of General Howe; besides
these there were several more nz the
room, some speaking with a Ge n ace
cent.
As it afterward transpired. they were
Generals Ne Ieister and Knyphausen, and
several of their aides.
“Gentlemen, 2 Tiowe was saying, “it
really is a shame to disturb me while I
am enjoying myself, but since. you force
me to give my attention, te these matters,
I shall tell you my
General Howe” pet i Bass quietly,
we don’t settle our "plans for to--
morrow, those accursed Yankees may turn : .
the tables on us.” - - . 1 :
“Then to-morrow night, when ‘our
u | troops are rested after their fight, we shall
descend upon Brooklyn and kill them of if
we have vaze the whole city to do it.
The Yankees must net be allowed to cress
the river.”
“To guard against dot,” said De Heis-
ter, “I Rat already sent men to guard de
shores in de following places,” and he
mentioned the’
Ned emiled and thought:
“Glad’ you told me where your guards
are placed, for now I can tell Washing-
ton, and when he sends over our troops .
they will take care to avoid the very places
you mentione! ]
(Contiued on page 10.) iv
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