The next day Barclugh commenced to recover from the shock of his wound; he chafed under the restraint that he was in; then he sent for Captain Sutherland. As soon as Captain Sutherland entered the cabin where the spy was sitting in an arm-chair, having his arm in a sling, he spoke cautiously:
“Good morning, Captain Sutherland. I am behind on my calculations two days already, and I am very desirous of returning to Philadelphia.”
“How do you propose to return, sir?” quizzed the captain.
“I have resolved on two possible means,” answered Barclugh. “One is to engage a passage on a fishing sloop; the other to go overland.
“I used to be acquainted with a Swedish fisherman who sold oysters in that city. He had two sloops that plied to this inlet. If I could be fortunate enough to find him, I could return most comfortably.
“Then I could be taken up Little Egg River as far as a small boat could go and thereafter depend on my own wits to reach Philadelphia overland. I prefer the water route in a sloop.
“Put me ashore at some fisherman’s hut and I will take care of myself,” concluded Barclugh.
“Do you think that you are well enough to make the journey?” asked the captain.
“I shall be as well off as I am waiting here,” continued Barclugh.
“If you will give me two trusty men in a boat to land me at the mouth of Little Egg Harbor River, I shall stop with the first fisherman that I can find. I can buy his boat, if necessary, to take me on my journey. A few guineas will look big in his eyes,” argued Barclugh.