Gage made every effort to purchase supplies for camp service; but the people were before him everywhere; they cut him off both in Massachusetts and New York. About the middle of April a reinforcement came, and the very day of its coming, Nat overheard a conversation between an ensign and a lieutenant at a mess table which immediately set his expectations upon edge. The boy from Wyoming was fitting a window-sash which had been much complained of; and as the two officers were but a half dozen feet from him, he lost not a word.
“This is all the general’s been waiting for,” declared the ensign, a youthful, strapping fellow. “Now mark my words, he’ll slip a second expedition out upon the Yankees and capture all the nest-eggs they’ve been hoarding so carefully at Concord.”
The lieutenant shook his head.
“Of course it’s for General Gage to do as he thinks best,” said he. “But if I were asked what I thought about it—which I’m not likely to be—I’d tell him to go slow.”
“Oh, he’s been going slow since he’s been here,” exclaimed the ensign, “and what has it done for him? Not a thing. Here is an assembly of men, styled the Provincial Congress, and which is totally unknown to the constitution, collecting the public moneys. That alone is enough to arouse him to action; but when he sees the same moneys invested in warlike stores to be used against him, he grows angry. It’s his duty to stop this and prevent the calamity of a civil war.”
The lieutenant nodded.
“You are right,” said he, “so it is; but I don’t like the way he’s going about preventing it.” He lowered his voice after a glance at Nat, and continued: “Have you heard that the grenadiers and light infantry have been relieved from duty?”
“Yes,” returned the other, with a laugh. “The excuse is that they are to learn some sort of a new exercise. It’s a rare good dodge, for of course they’re being got ready for a march.”
“I fancy you are right,” nodded the lieutenant. “And those boats of the transports, which were hauled up for repairs, have been launched again and are now under the sterns of the men-of-war, ready for service.”
Late that night, for he always visited Dr. Warren’s house at hours when he’d be little likely to be seen, Nat Brewster hastened to Hanover Street. Revere was with the doctor at the time and they received the news which he had to tell with set faces.