in case he
may be made to know that we are nearby for that purpose."

"Then do you two lads attend to that matter. Silas shall look after
whatsoever he thinks best, while Hiram Griffin and I set off to make
certain there will be no difficulty in getting skiffs."

"I am thinking it will be well if I search for the boat you left on the
shore near Fox hill," Silas suggested. "It may be I can bring her around
to this place, and surely that would be of advantage, because we have no
craft of any kind, unless you succeed in getting one before nightfall."

To this I agreed, and soon Silas had set off, when Hiram and I were left
alone.

"Well?" he said questioningly. "If you are satisfied with what has been
done this morning, and believe the Cause can be advantaged much by the
Minute Boys, suppose we get our heads together to decide how I may be
able to leave this town?"

"Are you going away at once?" I asked in surprise, for although he had
not so much as hinted he might stay a while with us, such a thought had
found lodgment in my mind.

"To what end should I stay?" he asked. "Surely a stranger like me can do
nothing in the way of playing the spy in a strange town, and I am of the
mind that there may be work for me in Cambridge."

"I had hoped you would wait on some chance of being able to help us set
Archie free," I said after a moment's hesitation.

"An' that were true, I would loiter here till the month's end, giving no
heed to what those in the encampment might think of my absence," he
replied heartily.

"Then stay!" I cried. "Greater things than freeing a lad who is shut up
in the cell of a prison, has been done by poorer tools than can be found
among us Minute Boys. You shall lodge at my home, going and coming as
best pleases you."

"I'll stay, lad," Hiram said promptly, "and am all the more willing to
do so because it strikes me you need a deal of watching."

I fancied it was possible to read in his face the thought which he had
in mind, and my cheeks were flaming red as I said in the tone of one who
admits his error:

"You believe I made a blunder in telling the lads all that the Committee
of Safety would have us do?"

"It was more than a blunder, lad, unless you could answer for all of
your comrades as you can for yourself. No harm would have come if you
had held your peace, simply telling them it was necessary you should
know all that was going on in order the better to guard against evil."

"Instea