University of Virginia Library

19. CHAPTER XIX.
A GODSEND, AND WHAT FOLLOWED.

At daylight the rain poured down in torrents;
but toward noon it abated, the wind
changed, and by one o'clock it ceased, and
the sun could occasionally be seen between
the broken clouds, that now began to float off
eastward. Up to this time, our friends had
not ventured to leave their hiding-place; and
the spirits of Milford had been greatly depressed
through the fore part of the day, lest
the storm should continue for the next twenty-four
hours, and completely frustrate the
plans laid out for the coming night.

“There, thank heaven! the sun shines
once more,” he exclaimed, in a tone of joy,
as he beheld the bright rays strike the water,
and seemingly turn it to silver. “And now
that my mind is easy on this point,” he continued,
“another thing strikes me as being
very disagreeable.”

“What's that, Capting?” inquired Josh.

“Why, we have eat nothing since last
night, and have nothing in prospective.”

“That's a fact, Capting, I swow to Guinea
I didn't think on't afore; but I was wonder
ing all the time what made me so holler, and
all kind o' gone like down in my stomach.
Jerusha! Jemima! it 'pears to me, now I
think on't, I could eat a cat's hide, with all
the hair on.”

“It was a great oversight in me to forget to
provide food for the day. I might at least
have got Carlini, or Dame Hagold, to deposit
some for us in a certain place in these woods.
But one can not think of every thing at once;
and so we must console ourselves with the re
flection, that when we do get it, it will be
duly appreciated.”

“Wal, I guess so,” rejoined Josh—“that
is, if it come afore we starve clean to death.”

“We can get along very well for twenty-four
hours, at least. Ah, now I think of it, I
must leave you for a short time.”

“Where be you a-going, Capting?”

“I will soon return,” replied the other,
evasively. “You will remain here: do not
leave the boat, on any account, till you see
me again.”

The Captain then drew the skiff out from
under the rock, ascended the bank into
the thicket, and disappeared, shaping his
course directly to the spot where he had met
the soi disant Henry during the night. He
thought it possible a letter might have been
left for him under the stone; though, considing
it had rained all the morning, he was prepared
not to be disappointed should he find
none. He gained the tree, and found the
stone, and his heart beat quickly as he bent
down to raise it; but it beat faster still, when
he beheld a neat little billet doux under it
Snatching it up, he pressed it to his lips, with
an excited lover's extravagance, and then tore
it open, in breathless haste, and read as follows:

“I have heard of your failure, dearest, and
you can judge of my feelings. I am miserable
on your account, and shall remain so until
you are safe. Oh! be prudent—be cautious—and
above all, beware of your conversation,
for the very trees have ears. I approve
of your plan of passing the night, but
fear the storm has rendered it a horrible night
to you. You must be faint for want of food;
but I have provided for you, as well as circumstances
would permit. In the center of
the thicket, you will find a basket of provision,
which I send by the bearer of this. Oh!
I am so anxious to hear from you! You must
permit me to send Henry to-night. You can
trust him with all safety. He will remain
with you till all is over. I will say no more
now, but trust we shall ere long meet again.
May heaven bless and preserve you! is the
prayer of one who would willingly lay down
her life to serve you. Adien.”

This letter was without signature or address,
and, as the reader has seen, was worded
so cautiously, that had it chanced to fall into
wrong hands, it would have conveyed no information
leading to the detection of the parties
concerned.

“God bless her!” ejaculated Milford, fervently,
as he refolded and thrust the letter
into his bosom next to his heart. “It is well
there is a heaven hereafter, for life is all too
short to repay such noble devotion as hers.”

He then, after looking carefully around, to
be certain he was not observed, entered the
thicket, and found the basket of provisions.
It was covered with a white cloth; and without
even raising this, to take a peep at its
contents, he passed his arm through the handle,
and hurried back to his companion.

“See!” he said, joyfully, as he again stepped
into the boat. “See, Josh! we are provided
for—there is no danger of our starving
now.”

“Why, where on airth did you git that are,
Capting?” queried Josh, with a look of astonishment.
“You haint been clean down to
the city and back a' ready, Capting?”

“No, Josh, this was sent to us by an angel.”

“Dew tell! you don't mean to say, Capting,
it was sent from the sky?”

“No, Josh, it was a terrestrial angel that
sent it, by a dark messenger.”

“You speak in riddles, Capting; but never
mind; let's see what it is—for I'm as hungry
as one o' Pharaoh's lean kind; I am, I swow
to Guinea.”

The Captain now removed the cloth, and
found a large quantity of cold meat, bread,
butter, cheese, and a bottle of excellent wine.
It is needless to add, that for the first few minutes
the provisions disappeared rapidly, and
the wine was not slow in passing through the
neck of the bottle down necks of very different
material.

“I didn't know I was so hungry,” said Milford,
his mouth crammed with meat and
bread.

“Wal, I knowed I was hungry,” returned
Josh, choking down a quantity that would
have sufficed a modern fashionable for a whole
meal; “but I swow to Guinea, Capting, I
never tasted victuals so good as this, afore, in
all my born days, that's a fact. I want to
know who sent it; for I'll never forgit to bless
'em as long's I live. And that are wine, too
—it just goes right to the spot, and warms a
feller up, as if he was sleeping, like I've hearn
tell the Dutch do, between two feather beds.”

“Well, the giver of this feast is Rosalie
Du Pont,” replied Milford.

“Wal, all I've got to say is, she's as good
as she is putty, and she's the puttiest critter I
ever laid eyes on, in the hull course o' my
life. And what's more, Capting Milford, she
likes you harder'n ever I seen a gal like a feller
afore.”

“How do you know that, Josh?” inquired
Milford, coloring, but looking pleased.

“How do I know it?” returned Josh, fixing
his small, black cunning eyes upon the Captain,
with a serio-comic look. “Gosh-all-thunder!
why, any fool might know it, that ever seen you
tew together a spell, as I did yesterday.”

“Hist!” cried Milford, in a whisper, looking
somewhat startled; “methought I heard
a noise, as of some one approaching. Lie
down, and let us pull the boat under the rock,
for fear of accident.”

This was soon accomplished, and then our
friends lay and listened. They soon had
cause to congratulate themselves on having
returned to their hiding-place; for steps were
now distinctly heard appoaching, and presently
some one ascended the rock above their
heads. Whether the new-comer were friend
or foe, it was of course impossible to tell, and
it would be hazarding every thing to make
the inquiry. They therefore remained silent,
and did not even allow their breathing to be
audible. The person on the rock, after remaining
a few minutes, leaped down into the
thicket, and went eway.

“I would give something handsome to know
who was here, and for what purpose,” whispered
Milford, after the stranger had gone.

“Wouldn't it do, jest to ventur' out now,
and try to git a peep at him?” returned Josh,
in a whisper also.

“No, the risk is too great. I feel we have
been very imprudent already; and for the
rest of the day, we will remain where we are

After making a hearty meal—for hungry
as they were, with their long fast, there was
more food than they were able to consume—
and having disposed of the wine between
them, our friends felt very comfortable, and
their spirits rose in due proportion. The remainder
of the day they lay in their skiff,
under the rock, looking out upon the tranquil
river, that rolled slowly past, to mingle its
waters with the great Atlantic. They rarely
spoke, and never above a whisper, for the
incident of the stranger, they looked upon as
a warning to be more prudent than they had
been, and neither felt inclined to disregard it.
The monotony of their view was once or twice
relieved, by the passing of a couple of schooners
up the river, but save these, they saw
nothing during the day worth mentioning.
The night set in clear, but cold. The sun set
fair, the heavy clouds of the morning were all
dispersed, and the great vault of heaven was
seen spangled with thousands of the bright
luminaries of other worlds.

As soon as it was fairly dark, our friends
again drew out their skiff from under the
rock, and, with muffled oars, rowed in silence
across the stream. Their object in this, was
to visit the post office on the other side, and
ascertain if there had been any communication
left there from their friends in the army.
After some little delay, occasioned by the
darkness, and the necessity they felt for being
very cautions, the stone was found, and raised,
when lo! to their great joy and suprise, for
they had anticipated a different result, a paper
was discovered, which Milford eagerly
siezed, but could not read for want of a light.
After a whispered consultation, on the best
plan to pursue, our friends started back to the
boat, thinking it would be safer for them to
strike a light there, than in the woods; but
they had not gone many paces, when suddenly
a figure rose up on every side of them,
and a stern voice at the same time demanded:

“Who are you?”

“If you are tru men, speak! who are
you?” returned Milford; “for you are the
stronger party, and have nothing to fear.”

“Right, sir,” replied the same voice; “and
I will answer, we are the friends of liberty.”

“Come you from the American camp?”

“We do.”

“And what do you seek?”

“That justice be done to the guilty.”

“Have I the honor of addressing Major
Lee?” inquired Milford.

`I am known as Major Lee, sir. And
you, if I mistake not, are—”

“Hist! not too loud!” interrupted the other.

“Have you received a message from abroad,
within twenty-four hours?” pursued the Captain,
who was determined not to commit himself
to a wrong party.

“I have, sir,”

“Pray, where is the messenger?”

“He is here.”

“Let me behold him that all my doubts may
be removed.”

“Stand forth, lad!” said the other; and
mmediately George Nugent advanced to the
Captain.

“Do you know me?” inquired the latter,
addressing the youth, for it was too dark
where the parties stood to distinguish features.

“Yes, Captain Milford,” replied the youth,
in a low, quiet tone, “I have not forgotten
you so soon.”

“Give me your hand, lad; and yours, Major;
for now I am satisfied that I am among
friends,” rejoined Milford, joyfully.

“Fall back, men!” said Lee, as he warmly
pressed the hand of the Captain, “I wish
some private conversation with this gentleman.”
And as all drew away from their
commander, he continued: “These men I
believe to be trusty, Captain, and I should
have no fear to place my life in their hands;
but still, as there are many others concerned
in our project, I think it best not to make
confidants of any more than is absolutely neccesary.
I am rejoiced to meet you so much
sooner than I expected, for we have been
here scarcely above an hour. And now, my
dear Captain, pray put me in possession of
your plan in as few words as possible.”

“The best way to do that, is to tell you
what has happened;” and Milford forthwith
proceeded to make him acquainted with all
the events of the preceding day and night.

“Ah! how unfortunate!” replied Lee, as

the other concluded. “But for that interruption,
we should doubtless, ere this, have
had the traitor in our power. Ah! a thousand
pities! a thousand pities! And you say
the same plan holds good for to-night?”

“Yes, Major.”

“But does the traitor walk the garden every
night before retiring to rest.”

“For the last four or five nights he has
done so; and in the whole of that time, he
has not varied half an hour from twelve
o'clock.”

“Pray heaven he do the same to-night.”

“I only fear he may not, Major; for on his
doing so, hangs our whole scheme.”

“Well, well, we can only trust to Providence.
Go back, Captain, and carry out your
plan as agreed upon. We will wait for you
on this side, about half a mile below here—
for I think we can venture that near the outposts
of the enemy, who, suspecting nothing,
will not of course be very vigilant. I have
four men with me beside George, and seven
horses, and we are armed to the teeth—so
you see we are prepared for either flight or
fight.”

After some further conversation, touching
several minor matters, Captain Milford took
leave of Major Lee, and calling Josh, returned
to his boat. Our two friends then rowed
across the stream very slowly, letting the skiff
drop down with the current. It being early
yet, they were in no hurry to land, and they
remained on the water till past nine o'clock.
They then drew in to the shore, at a point
nearly opposite the rendezvous, to which, after
secreting the skiff in a cluster of bushes,
they repaired, and set down under the tree,
to await the arrival of their friends.