"Don't stand there chewin' things over in your mind," Jerry said impatiently as I loitered near the helm. "It strikes me that when the commander of a fleet sends for a couple of lads they should step out right lively."
Jerry was right, and I meekly followed him to the commodore's cabin, where we saw Darius hob-nobbing with Joshua Barney as if they were two old cronies.
We lads saluted in as sailorly a fashion as was possible, for we were not well up on such manners, and the commodore said abruptly as he handed me a folded paper:
"Here is a guarantee from the government, through me as the commander of the naval forces in this section, that if your vessel is captured or destroyed by the enemy while you are under my orders, you are to be paid the sum of four hundred dollars."
I was dumfounded. Of course it was pleasing to know that we would be paid a good price in case we lost the Avenger; but why such an arrangement should be made at this time was way beyond me, until Darius said:
"Wouldn't it be a good idee, sir, if you was to tell the lads what is expected of 'em? I'm not allowin' they'd go contrary to what I said; but it would be pleasanter all around if they got the business from your lips."
"It shall be as Darius says," and the commander half-turned in his chair to face Jerry and me. "I propose that you shall continue to act as oystermen; but without spending much time at the labor. In other words, I want information from the enemy, such as you can gather, and have spent considerable time explaining where and how you may communicate with me. That part of the business need not be repeated. This much you should know: Darius has said that you would do, so far as possible, whatever I might set for you. Now I want your pungy to drop down the river at once; you are to act as if engaged in the peaceful occupation of fishing for oysters, and try to sell your cargo to the enemy. In other words, lads, you are to spy out the disposition of the British ships when they advance, for I am convinced that as yet they remain in the lower bay."
If I had been faint-hearted before, what shall be said of my condition now? In plain words, the commodore proposed that we turn spies, and if we were caught while thus engaged, we would make a speedy trip to the nearest British yard-arm with a rope around our necks!
Jerry did not appear to realize the dangers of the undertaking proposed, and when the commodore suggested that we had better get under way at once, he started toward the companion-way as if about to embark on some pleasure excursion.
"Are we to take on any weapons?" I asked, remembering the crippled muskets, and how dangerous it might be to discharge them.