ram, who speedily put an end to
their insubordination by saying in a scornful tone:

"A fine set of lads are you to call yourselves Minute Boys, who haven't
learned that a soldier's first and last duty is to obey! Because of
seeing some chance to play a trick on a scurvy Tory, you would
straightway throw all orders to the wind, leaving me to return to
Cambridge to make report that the Minute Boys of Boston refuse to follow
where duty calls. Do you not realize that if Seth Jepson brought the
lobster backs here, and failed to find you, he would give to whatsoever
officer accompanied him the name of each and every one, to the end that
'twixt now and morning you might be ferreted out and lodged in prison?
There's like to be two ends to such a trick as you would play, and I'm
thinking he would come out best in the end."

"But by staying we are like to be taken into custody, if so be your
vessels or boats fail to come on time," one of the company suggested,
and Hiram replied in ringing words:

"Ay, and then would you have no reason for shame, since to be captured
while performing a duty is often the fate of a soldier, and does not
work to his discredit; but suppose you refuse to obey the orders which I
have brought, and then are taken, like rats in their nests, false to the
Cause, false to your friends, and false to yourselves? How about it
then?"

It was as if he had lashed them with a whip. The lads shrank back into
the further corner of the lean-to as if unable to stand against his
anger and scorn, and I noted well that those who talked the loudest of
the pleasure of playing the trick on Seth, were showing the greatest
fear of Hiram.

It was all very well, however, to speak of doing our duty; but not so
pleasant to remain there with no means of escape, knowing beyond a
peradventure that within a couple of hours at the longest the lobster
backs would be upon us. While there was no thought in my mind of
sneaking away, I was frightened by the prospect before me, and all the
more so because Hiram appeared so disturbed. He went from the building
to the edge of the water twenty times in as many minutes, striving to
pierce the gloom with his eyes, hoping to see the boats which, according
to his arrangements, should have been there before then.

Finally, when he had remained on the shore gazing seaward longer than
usual, I went to him and asked in a whisper:

"Is there any chance they may have mistaken your plans, and will