CHAPTER XXXIV
After Segwuna read the letters of John Anderson that had been brought from New York by the Swedish fisherman, she could not bear the sight of Roderick Barclugh. The thought of Mollie Greydon ever loving this man who was visiting General Clinton and Major Andre, and conspiring with General Arnold and at the same time visiting the Greydon family, was repulsive to her. She did not yet possess knowledge positive enough about Barclugh to inform Mollie of its nature; nor did she yet really know that Mollie was in love with Mr. Barclugh. Still she fully intended to devote her attentions to this conspiracy and expose its operations, if possible.
As Segwuna lay on her couch of mats in her mother’s lodge, on the day that she had been invited to ride in the carriage with Mollie and Mr. Barclugh, she went over and over again all that she had learned:
“I first saw Mr. Barclugh after Mollie had met him at the dinner party given by Robert FitzMaurice. Every day that I went to Philadelphia I found Mr. Barclugh at the office of Milling & FitzMaurice or at General Arnold’s. In watching him I followed him to the office of General Arnold on the night before he visited Dorminghurst. I learned that he was going to New York to visit General Clinton and get a commission for General Arnold in the British army if Arnold turned over West Point. The next morning he stopped at Dorminghurst and visited my friends. I could not inform any one of what I knew for fear of implicating my friends, for I did not know what the relations were between Dr. Greydon and Mr. Barclugh.
“Now, it is all clear to me. Dr. Greydon does not know anything about Mr. Barclugh’s business. Mr. Barclugh pretends to favor independence, but he is striving to overthrow it. When I followed him to New York, I suspected more; when I heard his exclamations in the delirium of fever, I was convinced. The letters brought by the fisherman have shown that he is in communication with the English.
“Segwuna must not rest night nor day until this spy is foiled in his designs; if I should inform anybody, suspicion might fall upon my friends at Dorminghurst who have befriended Mr. Barclugh and saved his life. That course would never do, so the duty falls upon Segwuna alone to overthrow the spy’s work and save her friends!”
She set about her task of thwarting Barclugh with much zeal. She walked to Philadelphia and went immediately to Front Street near Barclugh’s lodgings. The first thing that met her eyes was the departure of General Arnold from the office of the British agent.
Segwuna kept her own counsel, but she was alert and active. She went to the Halls of Congress and watched for any news that might be of importance to her task. She heard Mr. Livingston talking to General Schuyler about West Point, so she stopped to listen.