you turned into an American, or
should have done so. I claim that a man has no right to hold himself
an Englishman when he moves into another country to live, never
expectin' to go back to the old home. All your interests are here, an'
by holdin' true to the United States you are benefitin' yourself."

"That's all rot. I work for what I get here, an' have no man to thank
for it."

"But the laws of the country protect you; all the advantages to be had
from the town where you live are yours, the same as others, an' when
you take them you have no right to do harm to the land which feeds
you."

"It's no use tryin' to argue me out of it, Jenkins, for you don't know
how I've been treated in Benedict. I'll give the British commander all
the information in my possession, an' it's enough to be of
importance."

Just then a woman's voice from the inside of the house summoned Mr.
Jenkins to some household duty, and I drew back among the foliage yet
further, dragging Jerry with me.

"We'll stay right here till we get our hands on that cur!" my partner
exclaimed when we were so far from the house that there was no danger
the words would be overheard, "an' if Commodore Barney's men can't
keep him a prisoner, we'll turn to an' see what kind of a fist we make
of the job!"

I was of Jerry's mind; but there was nothing that could be safely done
in broad day, and we went softly back to the shore that we might hold
counsel with Bill Jepson.

We found the sailor sleeping peacefully on the warm sand; but had no
compunctions about disturbing his slumbers, and after he was fully
awake it became necessary to tell him the story of what we had done in
the Patuxent, that he might the better understand the situation.

"So the spy is here, an' counts on stayin' till the Britishers come up
the bay, eh?" the old sailor said half to himself. "What have you lads
got in your heads?"

"We're goin' to get our hands on him once more, an' then take precious
good care he don't have a chance to tell the Britishers what he knows
concerning the commodore's fleet," Jerry said hotly.

"An' you count on doin' that first of all, eh?"

"Sure; that cur shan't have a chance to give us the slip!"

"But he said he'd stay till the fleet came up."

"Well?"

"That won't happen for three or four days yet, if all I've heard be
true."

"It makes no difference to us when the vessels come. What we want is
Elias Macomber!"

"What would you do with him, supp