"How do you know that?" I cried, my voice sounding shrill because of the fear which came upon me concerning the other lads.
"I have talked with those who saw him far in the rear before we were come to Charlestown Neck, and there is one here who claims that he saw a grenadier seize the lad just before we were arrived within range of the Glasgow's fire."
"What of Archie and Harvey?" I cried, instantly full of apprehension.
"Over yonder, not twenty paces away," and Hiram pointed across the field where were two hundred or more men fallen into the same sleep of exhaustion from which I had just awakened.
"Let's go to them," I said suiting the action to the words, and a few moments later the two lads, with slumber yet hanging heavily on their eyelids, were sitting bolt upright listening to me as I repeated Hiram's words.
"It will be a ticklish job to make our way into Boston town now while the enemy is so keenly on the alert," Archie said, as if there was no question in his mind but that we would set off without delay to do whatsoever we might to help our unfortunate comrade.
"Do you so much as fancy we might get into the town? Or, having smuggled our way through the lines, that we could remain there an hour without being detected?" I cried, amazed because my comrade had seemingly suggested such a perilous adventure.
"It matters little whether we can succeed or not, the attempt must be made," Archie said promptly, and I understood there was in his mind the thought that now had come the time when he might be able to show his willingness to aid a comrade, even as we had shown ours in his behalf.
I looked at Hiram, believing he would cry out against any such desperate hazard; but he remained silent as if agreeing with all Archie had said.
"Since the battle it stands to reason that the Britishers will keep a sharper watch then ever before," I said, determined at the outset to show all the dangers which were in the way of such an attempt as Archie had suggested. "Even though we succeeded in getting into the town, what could we accomplish, except it was possible to move about the streets freely? You know full well that within an hour after we show ourselves, some of the young Tories will spy us out, and there is no need for me to say what would happen then."