"You will be no better off if you do deliver me up to your rebel general, for Howe will be in possession of your wretched little city by tomorrow and the lot of you may be shot."
"If it is such a wretched little city, why does General Howe bother himself about it?" laughed Bob, Dick saying nothing.
"If you will let me go I will find a way for you to escape, and—"
"If you say another word on that subject I will gag you!" interrupted Dick sternly. "We are not to be bought, I tell you!"
Hughson flushed and remained silent after that, and at length the boys met some American soldiers and turned the spy over to them.
"That disposes of him," said Dick shortly.
"Yes, but he has been a very troublesome fellow, and would have been if we had not caught him. That was a very fortunate meeting."
"Except for him!" grimly.
"Very true, but, as Patsy says, we don't consider the enemy's feelings in such matters."
Returning to the camp, the boys heard from Mark that there had been considerable activity among the ships of the enemy during the afternoon, and that there were more at Governor's Island and one or two much nearer the mouth of the Hudson than during the morning.