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12 4 THE LIBERTY BOYS
AND THE TRAITOR.
it would be bad if he should succeed in reaching the Brit-
ish encampment and delivering into the redcoats’ hands
plans and drawings of the patriot camp on Morristown
Heights.
The Liberty Boys rode hard for several hours, and then
Dick decided that they must surely have succeeded in get-
ting ahead of the traitor.
_He now explained to the Liberty Boys that they were
to separate and form into a long semi-circular line, the
youths to be within one hundred and fifty yards of one
another; in, this manner they should be able to discover
the. traitor if he attempted to get through the line, to go
in the direction of New Brunswick.
‘The youths hastened to do as told, and within the hour
they were stretched out in a long line.
“Now if Ralston tries to get past us he will fail,” said
Dick to Bob, who had remained with him, while the others
were getting into position.
“Yes, I don’t think he could get through without being
seen; but he may learn of this and make a wide cirenit and
get around the end of the line.”
“He might do that, true,” said Dick. “I have a good
mind to have the boys double the distance between them;
that will make our line more than twenty miles long, and
J don’t believe he would be likely to try to get around the
end of it.”
“He would have harder work doing it, anyway,” said
Bob. “So I believe I would give the order.”
‘Dick did so, riding to the nearest Liberty Boy and tell-.
ing him to send the word along the line, in one direction,
while Bob did the same in the other direction.
Soon the line was lengthening, and in another hour it
was at least ‘twenty miles in Jength, instead of ten or
twelve.
Each of the Liberty Boys had bread and meat in his
saddle-bags, and as it was now past noon, they ate some
food, while keeping a sharp lookout for the traitor.
When they had finished eating they settled down to take
it easy and await the coming of Ralston. © —
They were sure he would put in an appearance sooner
or later.
Of course, unless he had secured a horse somewhere,
he might not be along before nightfall, for they were a
pretty good day’s walk from Morristown Heights: ~
Evening came, and still nothing had-been seen of the
traitor.
If he was near the line of Liberty Boys he had succeeded
in keeping from being seen.
The youths ate their supper, a and kept on watching for
the coming of the traitor.
Suddenly he appeared.
He had struck the line at the point where Dick and Bob
were. :
Tt.was Ralston, without a . doubt. The pont recognized
him instantly.
He had been taken by eurprise. It was evident that he
had not expected to see the Fouths, for he paused, stared
/
in open-mouthed amazement, and then started to turn, as
though to flee.
The youths were not going to permit this, however, after
et
Pe
having waited so long, and Dick promptly leveled his y mus- *
ket and called out, sharply:
“Stand where you are.
you are a dead man!”
Ralston hesitated, and stood still, staring at Dick with
a look of horror on his face.
A number of the, Liberty Boys came running to the
scene, and to them Dick called out:
“Seize him, boys, and tie him; hand and foot!” —
The youths advanced and surrounded Ralston.
They had nothing with which to tie the traitor, however,
so they ply seized him and led ‘him to where Dick
stood.
The fellow was terribly frightened. His face was so
pale it was like chalk.
“Search him,” ordered Dick. “Sec if he has any
plans or drawings of our encampment on his person.” ©
The youths obeyed, and quickly drew a document out of
Don’t attempt to get away, or
Ralston’s pocket. Dick opened and glanced at the docu-
ment.
“This contains drawings of Morristown Heights, and of.
the entrenchments, protections, and of the spots where an .
attack might be successfully made,” he said. “What have .
you to say for yourself, Ralston?”
The traitor dropped upon his knees and held out his
hands.
“Spare my life!” he pleaded.
. “It is useless to plead,” said Dick Slater, sternly; “yours :
shall be the fate always meted out to traitors, namely—
death!”
_ men be
A groan of despair and horror commingled escaped the oN |
pallid lips of the prisoner.
“Don’t kill me!” he cried. - “I will swear to be true to
the cause of independence from this day on, if you will
spare my life.”
“You might ag well spare your breath,” said Dick, .
sternly. “You know the fate that awaits traitors. If we
were to let you go free, you would go on and j join the Brit-
ish and tell them all you know about the patriot position
on Morristown Heights, and help them to storm the posi-
tion.”
“No, no! I swear that I will not? ”?
“Well, we have to obey orders,” said Dick, “and the last :
orders given me by the commander-in-chief were that if
we succeeded in capturing you we were to hang you at
once to the nearest tree.”
Ralston gave utterance to an exclamation of horror.
‘Surely you will not do that!” he cried. ‘“That will
be murder.”
“Oh, no; you are wrong.” vd
“I'am not wrong. I am entitled to a trial, and if you
hang me before I have had the trial you will be commit-
ting murder.” .
“No; you haye already been convicted, J oseph Ralston.”