It seemed to me only natural the captain would cry out against such a hair-brained scheme, and so he did, speaking forcefully to the effect that while it was possible we might succeed, when all the circumstances were favorable, in sneaking past the red-coated sentinels, he was confident we would be made prisoners within four and twenty hours after arriving in town.
I rather encouraged him in his outcry against the venture, believing his opinion would have no little weight with Hiram; but it was much the same as pouring water on a duck's back, to argue against what our leader had already set his mind upon.
He listened to all the captain said, making no reply, and when the conversation had come to an end I believe of a verity he was more determined in his purpose than before.
"Are you still bound to find out what a British prison is like?" the captain asked just a trifle petulantly when he was come to an end of his remonstrances.
"We are not minded that they shall take us prisoners; but at the same time we are going into Boston, and if in all that town, where yet remain many who love the Cause, we cannot succeed in hiding ourselves past reasonable danger of being found, then do we deserve to be shut up within stone walls."
When Hiram had said this the captain looked at him pityingly, as I thought, and made reply:
"He who is pig-headed will go his way despite all that others can say to the contrary, therefore I but waste my breath in striving to point out the dangers which are known better by me, than by you lads."
With this he turned on his heels, leaving us to eat our supper, and when he was out of earshot Hiram said as if the captain's sharp words had pleased him not a little:
"I have known many who didn't have sufficient of pig-headedness in their nature, and we saw some of them in the battle; but, thank God! they were mighty few!"
All of which meant, as I interpreted it, that our leader had been strengthened in his purpose rather than weakened.