s arm did Rebby know of her coming.

"I am late, and I nearly had to give up coming because Mother did not
get to sleep," Lucia explained, as the two girls hurried down to the
river. "She is so worried about Father," continued Lucia; "she says that
since the Americans defeated the English at Lexington they may drive
them out of Boston as well."

"Of course they will," declared Rebecca, surprised that anyone could
imagine the righteous cause of America defeated. "And if the English
gunboat comes in here the Machias men will capture it," she added.

"Well, I don't know," responded Lucia despondently. "But if it destroyed
the town there wouldn't be anyone left to capture it; and that is why we
must push that liberty tree offshore."

The girls were both strong, and Lucia had brought a sharp knife with
which to cut the rope holding the tree to a stake on the bank, so it
did not take them long to push the tree clear of the shore. They found
a long pole near by, and with this they were able to swing the liberty
tree out until the current of the river came to their aid and carried it
slowly along.

"How slowly it moves," said Rebecca impatiently, as they stood watching
it move steadily downstream.

"But it will be well down the bay before morning," said Lucia, "and we
must get home as quickly as we can. I wish my father could know that
there will not be a liberty pole set up in Machias."

Rebecca stopped short. "No liberty pole, Lucia Horton? Indeed there will
be. Why, my father says that all the loyal settlements along the Maine
coast are setting up one; and as soon as the old British gunboat is out
of sight Machias will put up a liberty tree. Perhaps 'twill even be set
up while the gunboat lies in this harbor."

"Well, come on! We have tried to do what we could to save the town,
anyway," responded Lucia, who began to be sadly puzzled. If a liberty
tree was so fine a thing why should her father not wish Machias to have
one, she wondered. Lucia did not know that her father was even then
bargaining with the British in Boston to bring them a cargo of lumber on
his next trip from Machias, in return for permission to load the _Polly_
with provisions to sell to the people of the settlement, and that,
exactly as Lucia had heard him predict, an armed British gunboat would
accompany the sloops _Polly_ and _Unity_ when they should appear in
Machias harbor.

The two friends whispered a hasty "good-night," and each ran in the
d