of this neighborhood, and who had rendered
the highways impassable because of their depredations. Near Tarrytown,
three of this party confronted a passing traveler, and leveling their
muskets at him, ordered him to halt. They were obeyed on the instant,
and because of the suspicious manner of the stranger, a complete search
of him was made. The set of papers was found in their hiding place, and
he was placed under arrest, and sent to North Castle. There the papers
were examined, and instead of being sent to General Arnold himself,
were forwarded to His Excellency, who was known to be lodged at West
Point. At the same time a complementary letter was sent to General
Arnold, informing him of what had taken place.

He was at breakfast when the news was brought him. The letter was
crumbled in his hand as he hastily arose from the table and rushed to
Peggy's room where he acquainted her of his fate. She screamed and
fainted. He stooped to kiss his sleeping child; then rushing from the
house was soon mounted and on his way to the place where he knew a barge
had been anchored. Jumping aboard he ordered the oarsmen to take him to
the _Vulture_, eighteen miles down the river. Next morning he was safe
within the enemy's lines at New York.

III

The minute details of the attempted plot had not filtered into
Philadelphia when a demonstration had begun in celebration of its
frustration. Spontaneously and exuberantly the citizens of the city
gathered in the public square and for several hours the joy-making
continued with unabated energy and enthusiasm. Like a flash it seemed
that the full realization of what this news had meant broke like a
rushing tide upon their consciousness. The country had been threatened;
but the danger had been averted.

In a few hours the streets were mad with hundreds of people singing and
shouting and marching in unrestrained glee. Bulletins had been posted in
the public square acquainting the people of the great facts, yet this
did not begin to equal the amount of news which had been relayed from
mouth to mouth and grew in detail and magnitude as it went. Chains,
trays, broken iron were dragged in rattling bundles up and down the
streets amid the laughs and cheers of the mass of humanity that had
swarmed upon the roadways and sidewalks.

Marjorie and her father were among the early arrivals on Market Street.
Little by little items of information came to them as they alternately
talked with their ma