Rebecca and Lucia had gone but a few steps when Lucia whispered: “We mustn’t let them put up the liberty tree. Oh, Rebby, why didn’t you try to stop your father going after it?”
“How could I?” responded Rebecca. “And when I said: ‘Why must Machias have a liberty pole?’ he was ill pleased with me, and said I must be loyal to America’s rights. Oh, Lucia! are you sure that——”
But Lucia’s hand was held firmly over Rebby’s mouth. “Ssh. Don’t speak it aloud, Rebby. For ’twould make great trouble for my father, in any case, if people even guessed that he knew the plans of the British. But I could not help hearing what he said to Mother the day he sailed. But, Rebby, we must do something so the liberty pole will not be set up.”
“Can’t we tell my father?” suggested Rebecca hopefully.
“Oh, Rebecca Weston! If your father knew what I told you he would do his best to have the liberty pole put up at once,” declared Lucia.
“But I have a plan, and you must help me,” she continued. “Paul Foster will bring the sapling close in shore near his father’s shop, and it will rest there to-night; and when it is dark we must go down and cut it loose and push it out so that the current will take it downstream, and the tide will carry it out to sea. Then, before they can get another one, the Polly will come sailing in and all will be well.”
“Won’t the British ship come if we do not put up the liberty pole?” asked Rebecca.
“There! You have said it aloud, Rebby!” whispered Lucia reprovingly.
“Not all of it; but how can we go out of our houses in the night, Lucia?” replied Rebecca, who had begun to think that perhaps Lucia’s plan was the easiest way to save the village. For Lucia had told her friend that the Polly, of which Lucia’s father was captain, and the sloop Unity, owned and sailed by a Captain Jones of Boston, would be escorted to Machias by an armed British ship; and if a liberty pole was set up the British would fire upon the town. So it was no wonder that Rebecca was frightened and ready to listen to Lucia’s plan to avert the danger.
She did not know that her father and other men of the settlement were already beginning to doubt the loyalty of the two captains to America’s cause.