“And to think that you were only trying to tell me that Washington and his friends would probably remember my work to my advantage and that the Tories would do the reverse,” said he. “I understood it as a threat. When you referred to it afterward on the road to Bristol you meant, I see now, to show that you were grateful to me. But do you know, I was convinced just the other way about.”
The boy that the Porcupine had seen leave the Cooper place in the night and make his way toward Cliveden had, of course, been Ezra, still in search of his brother; but the one whom he saw in consultation with Mr. Chew and Mr. Dimisdale had been George. The nervousness of Ezra upon the road to Bristol was because he feared just what Nat’s keen eyes showed to exist—an ambush. He had begged Revere to take an unfrequented road, thinking to escape one; but the Tories had out-thought him.
“I knew from your cold manner,” said Ezra to Nat, “that you believed me guilty of treachery; but I could not explain it to you, as you can now see. But Mr. Adams knew all, for I had told him everything; and when Dr. Warren’s letter reached Philadelphia he was, of course, not surprised. However, we thought it best to keep the matter strictly to ourselves. I told Ben a part, as I have said, that he might be enabled to work with me intelligently when we returned to Boston the second time.”
“We had formed a compact,” said Ben, laughing and turning to George, who had been listening soberly, only now and then adding a few words to the story, “to save you from the British. And we’ve been quietly on your trail ever since we came north.”
“I felt that some one was,” returned George. Then he reached out and put his hand upon Ezra’s shoulder. “So all the things that I have done have fallen upon you!” he said with feeling. “Forgive me, Ezra, if you can; and believe me that the possibility of such a thing never entered my mind until this morning.”
For answer, Ezra patted him upon the back encouragingly.
“Never mind that,” said he. “It’s all over now.”
“Yes,” returned George, firmly; “it’s all over; and anything I do in the future, Ezra, even so warm a patriot as yourself will not be ashamed of.”
Now and then they were overtaken by horsemen, or wagons containing people, heading for Concord; and Nat smiled to see that all bore rifles and that their faces wore looks of determination.
“There were only a few of us at Lexington,” cried a young farmer as he tore by upon a plough horse, “but there will be a different story to tell farther on.”