street, and I walked slowly toward Dock square,
asking myself how I might so trap Seth Jepson as to prove that he was
playing us foul, while at the same time I questioned whether there was a
possibility we could free the dear lad who lay eating his heart out in
prison.

CHAPTER VI

A CLOUDY NIGHT

It was not needed that I should walk very far in order to find Seth
Jepson. He was on the westerly side of the dock when I came into the
square, talking to two or three lads whom I had good reason to believe
were of Tory leanings.

Instead of appearing disconcerted because of my finding him in such
company, he acted much as if it gave him pleasure that I was come, and
straightway leaving his companions, advanced eagerly to meet me.

"Have you been up to the prison in the hope of having speech with Archie
Hemming?" he asked as soon as we were within speaking distance, and I,
suspicious of the lad, believed he thus counted on learning what we
might have in mind to do, therefore replied with somewhat of sourness in
my tone:

"It is too dangerous a matter to be seen loitering about that place,
especially for a lad like me, whose father is known to be a Son of
Liberty."

"I have seen Harvey Pearson there more than once, and thought most like
you had sent him."

By this time it was clear to me that Seth was striving to learn if we
had any plan on foot to release Archie, and striving to appear
indifferent, as if to my mind the matter was so fraught with
difficulties that it would be useless to make any attempt, I said:

"If Harvey chooses to loiter where there is great danger of being taken
into custody, it is no affair of mine. On first learning that Archie had
been imprisoned, I was so foolish as to say, without really believing it
could be done, that we would form some plan for his rescue; but came to
see right soon that it would be a piece of folly to raise our hands in
such direction."

"And you will let him stay there?" Seth asked as if in surprise.

"Let him?" I repeated laughingly. "It's a question of his being obliged
to stay there, and has nothing to do with us. General Gage is the one
who is allowing him to remain there."

Seth appeared perplexed by my seeming indifference, and while one might
have counted twenty he stood silent as if considering some matter, after
which, his face brightening a bit, he led me a short distance toward
Union street, where we might stand in the open with no fear any
e