"It really does concern me very little," Pierre said decidedly. "I can do nothing to prevent it, and cannot afford to spend my time looking for danger in the future, because we have that task to do which must be performed even though a dozen like Abel Hunt were standing ready to accuse us of being spies."
"What do you mean by that?" I cried. "What business have we on hand so urgent?"
"To carry the message with which the Jerseyman entrusted us."
"But that is impossible now Hunt had found us out."
"Why do you say that? How is it that the meeting with such as Abel Hunt can prevent us from doing the work of Minute Boys when it lays at our hand?"
"But how will you leave this town of York? When we go to ask permission to take a boat for the purpose of fishing, you can depend upon it he will be near at hand, and if he has not already done so, will then reveal all he knows concerning me."
"Suppose we don't give him that opportunity?" Pierre said thoughtfully. "Suppose we neglect to ask permission from any one to go out to get fish enough to prevent ourselves from starving?"
"How then will you go? Surely you are not so venturesome as to take to the water on a course to the right of Gloucester Point, when by so doing we must pass the king's vessels? The Charon is anchored directly on the course we would need to pursue in order to carry out the instructions which have been given."
"And she would still be there if we waited until daylight, and then asked permission from some of these swaggering officers of the king who have no love for any one save themselves."
I was mystified by Pierre's words, although surely by this time I should have come to understand that his odd speech betokened the perfecting of a plan, and I remained silent as if believing he would make sport of me, until two or three minutes had elapsed when Abel Hunt could no longer be seen in the gloom.