would you enroll me among your Minute Boys?"

"Ay, else why should I spend my breath in recounting the plan," Silas
cried impatiently. "Are you of the mind to join us, or is it more to
your liking to follow Amos Nelson and act as lickspittle to any lobster
back you chance to come upon?"

"I have never done so yet," Seth replied, and I waited in vain to hear
him declare that his greatest desire was the success of the colonies in
the coming struggle. "In case I set myself down as a member of your
company, what may be expected of me?"

Now according to my belief, a lad of Boston town who had such a
proposition made to him should, if he had been of the right metal, have
jumped at it eagerly instead of waiting to learn whether he would have
much or little work to perform, and I looked meaningly at Archie,
believing he would detect in this hesitation of Seth's, as I did, a
leaning toward Toryism; but he, thinking only of enrolling a sufficient
number of names to make our company of decent size, apparently gave no
heed to that which caused me so much of uneasiness.

Silas was at a loss to answer the question asked by Seth, for we had not
gone so far in our speculations as to say what our duties might be
before we could, and with truth, call ourselves Minute Boys; but finally
he made reply stammeringly:

"You will be expected to do whatsoever you may in behalf of the Cause.
Now we three lads have ourselves been sent to Lexington by Doctor Warren
to carry a message, and most likely similar work will fall to the share
of the Minute Boys."

"You have just come from Lexington?" Seth cried, looking up sharply, and
even Silas must have understood that he had been indiscreet, to say the
least, in thus divulging what should have been kept a secret.

"I only spoke of that to show you what the Minute Boys may be called
upon to do. As a matter of course, we will be under the command of
others, and bound to set our hands to whatsoever work is found for us."

Seth did not appear very eager to take advantage of this opportunity to
serve the colony. He stood there as if chewing it over in his mind until
I said with somewhat of impatience, and no little hope that he might
finally refuse:

"If the idea does not seem good to you there is no reason why you may
not refuse to join us. We want only those lads who are eager to aid the
Cause in so far as in them lies."

"I was only asking myself whether you might depend upon me to answer an