Wright, would set their faces
against our raising a company of Minute Boys after Doctor Joseph Warren
has seen fit to intrust to us a mission of importance? If we are capable
of doing Master Warren's work, then of a verity have we proven our
ability, if not our right, to serve the Cause as Minute Boys."

There was much of truth in what Archie said, and yet I could not bring
myself on the moment to believe we might do what seemed a most
venturesome thing. Since, however, I could not well answer the
arguments he brought up, I set about as if to throw cold water on the
scheme, by saying with the air of a lad who knows it all:

"I fear it would be a small company we could raise, if, peradventure, we
were forced to find all our recruits in Boston town. I believe truly
that I can count on the fingers of one hand, all whom we could trust. Of
course you would reckon on keeping the matter a secret if it so chanced
that we set about enrolling lads?"

"Why?" Archie asked hotly. "What reason might we have for striving to
keep secret the fact of having bound ourselves to aid the Cause as far
as lays in our power?"

Again had the lad put forth an argument which I could not answer, and
yet it seemed to me then as if we might better be able to aid our elders
in the coming struggle if we hid our purpose from the enemy, and by the
enemy, I mean such scurvy rascals as Amos Nelson, of whom we could find
many in Boston town without straining ourselves overmuch in the search.

"It makes very little difference whether you keep the matter a secret or
not," Silas interrupted, "if so be we can find lads who have sufficient
of courage to join us. We will choose only those who are to be trusted,
and, after consulting our elders, may, if so be they approve of the
enterprise, hold the matter private or make it public as they advise."

I was not minded to continue the discussion just at that time, for it
seemed to me we might better bring our mission to a successful end if we
held our peace. Water, as one well knows, will carry sound a long
distance, and we were now so near the Charlestown shore that there could
have been an hundred Tories or lobster backs hiding within the shadow of
the foliage without our being the wiser. It was, therefore, with some
petulance, mayhap, that I said:

"Whether we are to raise a company of Minute Boys or no, there is little
possibility of getting very far in the scheme until after having
returned to our homes.