"Me not know, sar."
"You mean you won't say," Peter said. "Try the vartue of them ramrods again."
"No, no!" the negro screamed. "Me swear me do not know where him be. You may burn me to death if you will, but I could not tell you."
"I think he is speaking the truth," Harvey said. "Wait a minute. Have you done this before?" he asked the negro.
"Yes, sar. Eight or ten times me swim de river at night."
"With messages to the Americans?"
"Yes, sar; messages to American officers."
"Have you any written message—any letter?"
"No, sar, me never take no letter. Me only carry dis." And he took out from his hair a tiny ball of paper smaller than a pea.
It was smoothed out, and upon it, were the words, "General Washington."