take chances of a spy being
about with those guns stored at Bill Mains'. I'm going to have a look
around here and make sure," and the man turned straight toward the place
where Anne crouched, fairly trembling with fear, for she had heard the
man speak of the guns, and was quite sure that these men were Tories, as
she supposed Bill Mains to be. She moved unconsciously, and the rustling
betrayed her whereabouts, and the man took hold of her shoulder and drew
her out into the road.

"Look at this! A little girl! Where's your father?" he demanded, drawing
Anne toward his three companions, who were evidently too surprised to
speak. "Where's your father?" he repeated, giving Anne a little shake.

"He--he's at sea," half sobbed Anne, hardly daring to lift her head, and
wondering what dreadful fate would befall her if these men should
discover that she had just escaped from Bill Mains' house, and that she
knew all about the guns hidden there.

"Don't be rough with the little maid, Dan," said one of the men; "it's
early in the evening yet, and no harm in a child being on the road. Like
as not she hid there from fear of us. Do you live near here, little
one?"

Anne now ventured to look up, but in the dusk could only see that the
man who spoke so kindly was bareheaded, while the others wore slouch
hats which shaded their faces.

"No, sir," she answered.

"There's no house for miles," declared the man who had discovered Anne,
"and there's some older person about, you may be sure."

As he spoke Anne said to herself that she would not let them know how
she came there. "If I do perhaps they will kill Mr. Freeman," thought
the frightened child. So when they questioned her she would not answer,
and the men now had some reason to believe that Anne had older
companions who might indeed be spies upon those who sympathized with the
Americans.

"Is it safe to go to Mains' house?" questioned one of the men, and there
was a little talk among them over the matter, but they decided to go on;
and, holding Anne fast by the hand, the man who had drawn her out from
her hiding-place led the way, and Anne had not been away from the
shingled house but an hour or two before she found herself again at the
front door.

In response to a low whistle the door opened and the men filed into the
room. Bill Mains, holding a candle in his hand, stood in the little
passageway and as he saw Anne he nearly let the candle fall, and
exclaimed in amazement: