inded, you would have
been made prisoners within an hour after coming into this house, and the
fact that you were not taken into custody shows that I was playing
honestly with you."

"Which proves that you had some plan in mind which could be made to work
more of harm to the Cause if we were held here," I said, and then there
came into my mind Hiram's words when he was telling the story of the
British sergeant, and I added sharply, as if having discovered all his
scheming, "We were to be held here as bait in a trap for some of our
people whom you hoped to catch, and who would be more of value to
General Gage than we three lads."

He turned his eyes toward me quickly, as a deep flush overspread his
face, and I knew full well that I had hit the mark while repeating much
the same as Hiram had invented for the benefit of the sergeant.

I continued to dwell upon the matter, hoping he might be provoked into
telling me for what purpose he counted on taking from the Bridewell one
of our people who had been captured at Breed's hill; but the scoundrel
was sharp enough to hold his peace regardless of what I said, never
letting out a word that could serve as an inkling to that portion of the
plan.

As I sat there by his side, my ears strained to catch the first sound
which should tell of Tory visitors or of Hiram's return, I believed I
knew it was Silas Brownrigg whom he would have selected from among the
prisoners, and that he had been trying to keep us quiet, not daring to
bring the lad down from the Bridewell until the last moment lest we
should insist on leaving Boston immediately afterward.

Once such a thought came into my mind, I repeated it to him, catching
again a glimpse of the dark flush which told, to my mind at least, that
the blow had struck home.

Archie must have been in much the same frame of mind as was I before
beginning this conversation with Job Lord, for now he cried out sharply,
as if the sound of my voice jarred upon his quivering nerves:

"In the name of all that's good, Luke Wright, hold your peace! We can't
better ourselves by bandying words with such as Master Lord, and it may
be some one from the outside will hear you."

Even as he spoke there came to our ears distinctly three smart raps on
the outer door, and I leaned over Master Lord with my knife upraised,
for I knew that now was come our time of greatest peril.

CHAPTER XVIII

TURNING THE TRICK

Archie glanced up at me with a l