"It has all but ruined the trade of them all. And I wonder how much,"

speculated the boy, "that has to do with the British leaning of most of the merchants."

"A great deal, you may depend," chuckled Gilbert Scarlett. "Touch a trader's purse and you touch him upon a most delicate part. Not,"

hastily, "that I mean to cast any discredit upon your relative. I speak of merchants in the bulk."

"It is not for me to defend my grandfather," said Ezra with a smile, "even if you did select him from them all." For there came a confused hubbub of voices, above which was one high, harsh and threatening. "As you shall see in a moment, he is in every way competent to take care of himself."

Even as he spoke the hangings over the far doorway were flung aside and a tall, grim-faced old man, with thin white hair and of gaunt, powerful frame, stepped into the hall. With head erect and frowning brows he came down the hall; his eyes were hard with anger.

"So," said he, and Scarlett at once learned that he was the owner of the harsh voice, "you have seen fit to show yourself at last, I see."

Ezra bowed respectfully.

"As things are, sir," said he, quietly, "it would have puzzled me to make my way into Boston any sooner."

A burning hatred flashed in Seth Prentiss' eyes. One hand gestured his fury, the other was pointed at his grandson.

"Are you mocking me?" he asked in a voice made low by the storm of feeling that seemed to possess him. "Are you deriding us all because we are pent up here, like rats, and never a blow struck by the King's troops to set the matter right!"

"As you should know, sir," said Ezra, in the same respectful tone, "I would not--"

But the stern old man silenced him with a gesture.

"I know nothing as to what you would or would not do," he said. "You have always been half-hearted in the cause of King George. From the beginning I've noticed a bent in you toward those rascals over there,"

and his furious arm-sweep took in the whole region from Dorchester to Charlestown. "You were always talking of what they had to bear with; seldom indeed have I heard you speak of what we suffered."

"The patriots--" began Ezra once more, but again he was interrupted.

"Patriots! Fiddlesticks, sir! Rebels is the name for them! Rebels to a good King, and skulkers who destroy the prosperity of their countrymen.

My ships rot in their docks; my trade is going from me bit by bit, after my years of struggle to build it up."

"It is the fortune of war, sir," said Gilbert Scarlett, soothingly.

"War!" The gray brows drew themselves lower and the grim old face turned upon the speaker. "Do you call this war? It is not! It is an infamy that will recoil upon them, sir!"

"Say what you please," retorted the adventurer coolly, "war it is, and a very pretty one, indeed, all things considered. For mechanics and husbandmen, these rebels of yours set to it right cleverly."

What the answer of Seth Prentiss would have been to this is not known.

For another step sounded in the hall and a stout man in the uniform of a British general officer made his appearance. He had a round face and a bluff manner; his voice held the note of satire as he spoke.

"Hah!" said he, "and so we have here a student of warfare." He swept Scarlett with a look. "And so you admire the works of the Americans?" he asked.

The young adventurer had arisen upon the appearance of Ezra's grandfather; so he now struck his favorite att.i.tude, his legs very far apart, his thumbs in his sword belt.

"In so far as they go," replied he, "I have the honor to say, 'Yes.' Not that I consider their formations complete, mind you," with an air of great a.s.surance, "for I have seen much that could be corrected. But, when all is said and done, they have you fairly beleaguered; without reinforcements you cannot stir."

As this very clearly stated the case, General Gage, for the officer was the British governor, looked at the speaker sharply.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GENERAL GAGE LOOKED AT THE SPEAKER]

"Mr. Pennington gave us your name," said he, "but I have forgotten it.

Perhaps you would favor us, sir?"

Scarlett bowed elaborately.

"I am Gilbert Scarlett," said he, "and have but lately served His Majesty of Spain. Also I have seen blows struck while in the armies of the Turk, the Elector of Hanover, and His Grace of Wurtemburg. I could add to these," with modesty, "the names of the Swiss and some Northern nations, but," as he shrugged his shoulders, "what purpose would it serve? From what I have already said you must have gathered that I know whereof I speak."

The British general smiled satirically.

"You are overyoung to have served so many princes and states," said he.

"And I fear that your time with each one must have been a brief one."

At this the dark brows of the young soldier of fortune came together; his hand hitched his sword around in a manner that Ezra well remembered, and was about to speak. But the lad placed a warning hand upon his arm, and gave him a look.

However, Gage paid no attention to the other's reception of his remarks.

Indeed, no sooner had he uttered them than he turned to the master of the house, and said:

"If you will be so obliging, Mr. Prentiss, we will continue our conference. This stranger gentleman and your grandson can, no doubt, await our convenience."

"Sir," replied the merchant, "I beg your pardon for leaving the room so abruptly. But I could not wait. I could not remain and think of him being here," indicating Ezra, "under the weight of this accusation."

"That is very natural," returned Gage, good-naturedly enough. "But let us come at the matter in an orderly, soldierly way. When we have fully understood what Pennington has to say, then we shall call the lad in-and his very experienced friend also," with rather a mocking look at Scarlett. "That will be much the best way."

The aged merchant bowed to the suggestion of the British governor. But his stern eyes lost none of their anger; his jaws were set as grimly as ever. And as he preceded Gage up the hall, his manner was proud and unrelenting.

"It would seem," said Scarlett, who had ignored Gage's last fling with considerable effort, "that your grandfather is a gentleman who would judge and condemn one very quickly if he were so inclined."

"He is a proud man and an intolerant one," replied the boy. "He loves to rule, and, as you may have noticed, his rule is not likely to be of the lightest."

Both Seth Prentiss and General Gage had disappeared into the room from which they had lately emerged; and the grave-faced serving man brought the two visitors chairs, that they might rest while awaiting the British commander's pleasure.

The night was drawing on; indeed it was past midnight, and the quietness of the house in Sun Court was unbroken as they sat in silence, each moment expecting to be summoned. Ezra had no notion of how the matter would terminate. But he had expectations of learning something that would help the cause of the colonies; and so he sat patiently, alertly, never for a moment allowing his mind to drift from its purpose.

Without in the court a guard paced slowly and steadily up and down. The footsteps were heavy and measured; the soldier evidently had plates of steel set in his shoes; for when his heels struck the stones they gave out a metallic ring. Every now and then from the direction of Middle Street came the rush of hoofs.

"They seem to be pushing troops steadily toward the lower end of the town," said Scarlett, lowly, at length. "And to my mind that means nothing less than the delivery of an attack, or the expectation of receiving one."

"The lower end of the town! The delivery of an attack!"

These words startled Ezra. Like a flash the thought of a few hours before came to the boy. Finding that his dispatch bearer had failed him, Major Buckstone had delivered his information by word of mouth. And now, under cover of the darkness, Gage was hurrying his most formidable troops toward the Neck, meaning to hurl them forward and crush the slender line of guard.

As the moments slipped by, the lad's feelings can well be imagined. He was forced to wait. Even had he slipped out of his grandfather's house, he could give his commanders no warning. The river lay between them, the pa.s.sage of which, under the circ.u.mstances, was all but impossible.

However, there was one thought that gave him courage and kept him cool.

"Dr. Warren received the dispatch in good time," he told himself. "He must have consulted with General Ward. The guard at the Neck has surely been made strong enough to resist any sally."

An hour went by and the greater part of another. Scarlett was beginning to grumble impatiently when Pennington pushed aside the hangings of the far doorway and beckoned them forward.