ishers the town they had seized!

It must have been that General Gage received the same news as had come
to us, for on the hour orders were issued that no person should be
allowed to leave the town without a pass, and everyone caught while
attempting to depart would be imprisoned.

The Tories themselves had begun to understand that our people might be a
power in the land, for straightway two hundred of them were enrolled as
a military company, with that arch traitor, Timothy Ruggles, as their
captain.

"It seems that the Minute Boys have nothing to do," I said bitterly to
Hiram Griffin when he and I came together at my home on the evening
after the Tory company had paraded on the Common. "It is from Cambridge
that the important news is being sent, and we who are shut up here have
no word of news to tell."

"It strikes me, lad, that you have already got quite a budget of
information which our people in Cambridge should hear. Mayhap it is
already known in the encampment that no one can leave Boston town
without a permit, and it's also possible they know of the arming of the
Tories; but you who were assigned to the duty of gathering news should
not set yourselves down idly and say that it has already been made
public."

"Meaning that we should go our way carrying stale information at the
risk of being arrested, and repeating what no one cares to hear?"

"Ay, lad, that is exactly what I mean. You were not asked to seek this
or that; but to carry to Cambridge information of what was going on in
town. It is for General Ward to say whether that which you bring him is
of importance or no."

"But it seems that we have other work on hand which should come first,"
I said, having kept back a bit of news which I knew would startle him.
"Harvey Pearson succeeded this afternoon in seeing Archie--"

"How did he get into the prison?"

"There's no such good word as that. What I mean is that he attracted his
attention from the outside, and by dint of gestures, with a word here
and there, made him understand that at midnight, after the guard has
been changed, he will attempt to have speech with him."

Hiram looked at me in surprise, as if not crediting all I told him, and
then, much as if dismissing the matter from his mind, he said:

"If I were the captain of the Minute Boys of Boston, I should strive to
send a messenger to Cambridge this night. I myself have picked up such
bits of news as I believe General Ward would be plea