Just then a woman's voice from the inside of the house summoned Mr. Jenkins to some household duty, and I drew back among the foliage yet further, dragging Jerry with me.
"We'll stay right here till we get our hands on that cur!" my partner exclaimed when we were so far from the house that there was no danger the words would be overheard, "an' if Commodore Barney's men can't keep him a prisoner, we'll turn to an' see what kind of a fist we make of the job!"
I was of Jerry's mind; but there was nothing that could be safely done in broad day, and we went softly back to the shore that we might hold counsel with Bill Jepson.
We found the sailor sleeping peacefully on the warm sand; but had no compunctions about disturbing his slumbers, and after he was fully awake it became necessary to tell him the story of what we had done in the Patuxent, that he might the better understand the situation.
"So the spy is here, an' counts on stayin' till the Britishers come up the bay, eh?" the old sailor said half to himself. "What have you lads got in your heads?"
"We're goin' to get our hands on him once more, an' then take precious good care he don't have a chance to tell the Britishers what he knows concerning the commodore's fleet," Jerry said hotly.
"An' you count on doin' that first of all, eh?"
"Sure; that cur shan't have a chance to give us the slip!"
"But he said he'd stay till the fleet came up."