spect he might have been concerned in releasing a prisoner, they will
most like treat him with greater severity than may be shown those
unfortunates who were captured at the close of the battle, having no
worse record than love of the colonies."

Master Lord nodded, as if to say that he quite agreed with Hiram; but
remained silent so long that it seemed as if he had forgotten we were
there, and I ventured to ask with no little timidity:

"Do you know, sir, where the prisoners taken at Breed's hill are
confined?"

"Some of them are in the Queen-street prison, and a goodly number have
been taken to the Bridewell. Who could give information to the
Britishers that you were concerned in the work at Hog island?" he asked,
turning squarely upon me.

"Seth Jepson," I replied, and then I told him of our having enrolled
that young Tory among the Minute Boys, as well as the reason we had for
suspecting him before he openly played the traitor by bringing the
lobster backs to Barton's point.

Again Master Lord fell silent, and this time none of us ventured to
question him. We sat there, Hiram drumming with his fingers impatiently
upon the table while we three lads stared at our host, until it seemed
to me a full five minutes had passed when Master Lord, his eyes shifting
uneasily from one to the other, began as if simply giving words to his
thoughts:

"This place has served many a time, since General Gage began making
trouble, as a refuge for those who were in sore need of hiding, and thus
far the Britishers have had no suspicion that I did all within my power
to serve the Cause. To make any attempt at releasing a prisoner now,
when the lobster backs are so sore over that victory at Breed's hill,
which was nothing more nor less than defeat, promises to reveal the
work which has been carried on here."

He ceased speaking a full minute, and then cried out as if believing we
suspected him of being afraid:

"Not that I care about myself, for I'll engage to give the Britishers
the slip if I have five minutes warning of their intent to take me into
custody; but I'm questioning whether we might not be doing more harm to
the Cause by making known the secret of this place in order to rescue
from prison a single lad, than if we left him to his fate, keeping
secure our refuge here for those who may stand in greater need than he
does of liberty."

"We were not counting on your taking any hand in this matter," Hiram
said promptly whe