ly of
provisions, for it's likely they haven't any too large a store in the
fleet."

Then was the moment when I should have declared bluntly that I had no
idea of putting myself in a position to be shot at if it could be
avoided; but I hadn't the courage to tell him that I would not leave
Benedict immediately, although I was fully determined not to go up the
river.

Jim Freeman and a couple of other boys strolled along, having been in
search of us. They also took it for granted that the Avenger would
join Commodore Barney's fleet, and were come to ask that the three be
allowed to go with us.

"It won't do, Jim," Jerry said, taking it upon himself to act as
spokesman, although I figured as captain of the pungy. "We can't feed
ourselves, the way things look now, an' it don't stand to reason we
should add to the crew."

"But I'll bring enough to eat," Jim persisted, and turned to me as he
said, "I've done you many a good turn, Amos, an' you won't lose
anything by givin' me lift now."

"Do you call it a lift to be put where the Britishers can kill you?" I
asked angrily, for if these lads were so eager to have a hand in the
fighting as to beg for a chance, it would be all the harder for me to
declare that I wouldn't join the fleet.

"We might carry you as far as Nottingham, if you'd agree to ship on
some other craft after we got there," Jerry said without stopping to
ask my permission.

"That we'll do, an' be glad of the chance," Jim replied, acting as if
really overjoyed by the permission to run his nose into danger.
"We'll be on board in half an hour; you can't get under way before
then?"

"No; we shall likely be here an hour or more," Jerry said as if he was
the sole owner of the Avenger, and when the foolish boys ran away at
full speed, he began to figure as to where we could get a small store
of food.

I held my peace, angry and timorous, until we were come to the water
front, where we found Darius awaiting us, and he, as could be seen at
a glance, was of the same mind as Jerry.

"I've found two hams an' a side of bacon!" he cried triumphantly,
pointing to the articles which were in the canoe. "If you fellows can
scare up some meal, we'll be fixed for a spell. Did you see Jim
Freeman an' his crowd?"

"Yes; they're goin' to Nottingham with us," Jerry replied, and the old
man asked me:

"How soon can we get under way?"

I hesitated; it was on the tip of my tongue to say that I would not
stir a hand in