"You from York Town?" he cried with a coarse laugh. "You from York Town wanting to see the marquis?"
"Ay, that I am," was my angry reply. "Why should I not come from York, and why should a boy of Virginia not carry a message to a general who is serving in the American army?"
"There is no reason why he should not, providing it was being done honestly; but there are Virginians who would go from Cornwallis to Lafayette on anything rather than honest business. If you are acting as messenger, who in the town of York would send you?"
For an instant the name of Morgan trembled on my lips, and then I realized in what danger I might put the spy by thus proclaiming that he had enlisted in the British army, while the man, seeing me hesitate, laid his hand heavily upon my shoulder, as he said in what sounded very like a tone of triumph:
"If you were bent on honest business there is no reason why you should delay in saying who sent you. It looks to me much more as though you were one of the Tory spawn that infest Virginia, and were counting on learning what you might concerning our people."
Now indeed was my anger aroused, and I ministered to the suspicions of this zealous patriot by giving way to it. Instead of speaking him fairly, as Pierre Laurens would have done had he been in my place, I must needs fly into a temper, asking if he saw on my face anything betokening a Tory leaning; if he could not recognize an honest lad when he saw him, and all that sort of foolish talk which only made the matter worse, whereas if I had explained on the instant who I was, then would he have had no doubt.
The result of my folly was that not only the man who acted as spokesman, but both his companions, were straightway convinced I was playing the part of a British spy—that I was one of those vile things known as a Tory, who was willing to work whatsoever of harm he might to his own country.
At once I found myself a close prisoner, being seized by both arms and marched in triumph up the road by these men who I must confess were doing no more than their duty, and being given no further opportunity to make explanation.
During two or three minutes I held my peace, the anger in my heart being so great that I could not think clearly, and then, realizing that the truth must be shortly known when I was brought before the marquis, General Lafayette, as in my folly I believed I would be, I set about telling that which had best been told before I gave way to anger.
"My name is Fitzroy Hamilton," I said, striving to speak in a friendly tone. "Surely you know the Hamilton plantation, and that my father is in the American army?"