the remark failed to
reach him, "by what means the man was apprised of our design. Or it
may be, that, by mere chance, he is absent; for some evil purpose,
doubtless. It will, however, avail him nothing, for sooner or later he
must fall into our net. I have lingered in the hope that he might
return and be caught by the men on the margin of the wood--a hope I
give not up yet, and, therefore, perhaps it were better to wait
awhile."

"I pray you, sir," said Lieutenant Venn, "to do me a pleasure in one
thing. Delay not our departure until it be so late that the sun is
risen when we enter Boston. I confess to some shame on account of this
night's work, and desire that what was begun in darkness may be ended
in like manner."

"What fanciful follies be these?" said Spikeman. "Art thou degraded by
any service which promotes the interests of the Commonwealth?"

"Nevertheless, be it a fanciful folly or grave wisdom, I will take the
liberty to iterate the request, and will hold myself indebted if it be
granted."

"Surely," said Spikeman, "it is a light thing, and because you wish
it, it shall be done. Call in the men from the margin of the clearing,
and we will begin preparations for return."

Let no surprise be felt at the character of the conversation betwixt
the superior and inferior officer, and at the influence exercised by
the latter over the former. The men under the command of the Assistant
for the occasion were not regular soldiers but ordinary citizens;
liable, it is true, to be called out at any moment to do military duty
whenever an exigency arose, but without being subject to any very
strict discipline. The most of them were voters, and hence a source of
power, and therefore to be courted by any one ambitious of political
distinction. Such an one was the Assistant, and he stood in about the
same relation to his men that a modern militia captain, who is
desirous of civil office, does to his company of soldiers, and who,
through fear of giving offence and so losing the object of his
aspirations, is obliged to relax the strictness of military rule.

On receiving the order, Lieutenant Venn started off to execute it,
and, as soon as he was gone, Spikeman took Ephraim Pike aside.

"Ephraim," he said, "the badger may lie hid in some cunning place of
concealment in the house, and after all laugh at our simplicity at our
departure without him."

"That can hardly be," said Pike. "The house has been thoroughly
searche