se whom we hoped to make prisoners.

Jerry joined us almost immediately, having been on the lookout during
five minutes or more, and he reported that there had been no signs of
life in the vicinity since his arrival.

"We who carry the clubs will go ahead, an', if it so be possible, do
the biggest part of the work, for our weapons ain't the kind that make
much of any noise," Darius whispered. "Jim Freeman will stand guard at
the door of the mill, but he is not to shoot unless it becomes
necessary to prevent the Britisher or the miller from takin' a hand in
the scrimmage, pervidin' there is one. Now follow me, lads, an'
remember that we must get the three sailors under our thumbs, once
we've started, no matter what turns up."

We stole up to the big door on the northwest corner, the only entrance
to the building, and, as I had expected, found it fastened on the
inside. One would hardly have supposed that the Britishers in hiding
would neglect to make themselves as secure as possible.

It appeared that Darius was not disappointed, for after pushing gently
at the door, and motioning for Jim to stand in front of it, he led the
way along the northerly side of the mill to a portion of the
under-pinning which had given way, disclosing an aperture through
which a mule might have been driven.

"Keep close at my heels," he whispered, and then he plunged into the
darkness, we obeying his command to the letter, for a mis-step might
throw us into the mill-race, which we could hear rippling close at
hand.

One would have said that the old man had always lived in this place,
so directly and swiftly did he go to the desired point, which was a
portion of the flooring where was a trap-door, evidently used to dump
the refuse, for suddenly we found ourselves climbing up a heap of what
appeared to be husks and cobs of corn.

It was a simple task to gain entrance to the building in this manner,
for Darius had only to force the trap-door up with his shoulder, and
in a twinkling we were standing on the lower floor, near-by what I
took to be the hopper.

Touching each of us in turn that we might be warned to follow closely,
Darius led the way to the easterly end of the building, where he
halted at the foot of a flight of stairs.

Now he marshaled his force according to the weapons. Jerry was behind
him; I came next, determined to use my musket as a club so long as it
could be done, rather than take the risk of killing a man, and in t