e understood the piercing glance.

"I have come thus under General Clinton's orders," was the reply. "My
safety lies in open uniform."

"Let it go at that. Here! I have with me the plans of West Point,
together with a full inventory of its armament and stores and a roster
of its garrison."

Andre took the papers and glanced at them as best he could by means of
the lantern light.

"But I do not see here a written promise to surrender the fortress?"

"No! Nor, by Heaven, you shall not receive it," Arnold snapped. "I have
given my word. That is enough. I have already placed myself in your
hands by these plans and inventories made in my own handwriting. This is
all.... No more."

"General Washington visits here on Saturday?"

"Yes."

"The surrender must take place that night."

Arnold looked fiercely at him. This was one matter which seemed
intolerable. To betray his country was treason; to betray his sole
friend and benefactor was unknown to him by any name in the English
language. He refused absolutely. Andre insisted, and the discussion
became violent.

Neither became aware of the dawn which was about to break through the
thicket of fir-trees which bounded the opposite bank of the Hudson.
Still the details had not been arranged; the matter of Arnold's reward
was still unsettled. There had been various promises of compensation,
maintenance of military rank, a peerage or a viceroyalty in one of the
colonies, but Andre was empowered to offer no more than compensation and
military rank. With the dawning light, the boatmen became alarmed and
refused to take Andre back to his ship, with the result that the two
conspirators were obliged to pass the time until the next night in the
house of Joshua Smith.

It so happened that the day brought to pass an unforeseen accident.
Livingston, the Colonel of "Congress' Own," in command of the batteries
on the opposite side of the river at Verplanck's Point, opened fire upon
the _Vulture_, compelling her to drop down the river. It was necessary,
therefore, for Major Andre to proceed by land down the opposite shore
until he had met with his vessel, and so late at night he departed, his
uniform and coat exchanged for a disguise, the six papers in Arnold's
handwriting crammed between his stockings and feet.

It also happened, by a strange irony of fate, that a party of American
soldiers had set out that very morning to intercept a band of robbers
who had infested the roadways