“Excellent,” said Nat. “It couldn’t be better.”
Accordingly they dismounted when they came to the lane; the dwarf took the bridles and prepared to carry out his plan; but before starting he turned his head and said:
“I suppose I’ll see you again some time, eh?”
Nat went to him, took him by the shoulders and looked down into his queer, round face.
“You’re not very big,” said he, “but you’ve got courage and brains. And I thank you for what you’ve done.”
“Oh, never mind that,” grinned the Porcupine. “I was thanked enough last night. The hostlers thanked me for telling them about how Master Royce and his friends were bullying the landlord; and the landlord thanked me for bringing the hostlers in. And then the gentlemen from Virginia thanked me for the other thing.” He paused and looked up at Nat with shrewd inquiry. “And so Mr. Washington won’t want us to tell any one about the real reason for the Tories being at the inn?”
“No,” replied Nat. “He thinks that it would arouse indignation, and maybe bring on some sort of an attack by the Congress party. He says it is best to have nothing of the sort now, for they have not yet given up hope of bringing all Americans together in their protests to the king.”
When Nat reached the Cooper place he found that his absence had occasioned considerable alarm. But he led his uncle and Ben quietly aside and explained the business that took him away. To say that they were surprised would be putting it mildly.
“It was a clever and a dangerous plan,” said Mr. Cooper, gravely. “It would seem that men were brought from some point to the north so that they would not be known in this neighborhood. But,” with a laugh, “there were by far too many in the secret. It is not safe to tell anything of importance to such rabid partisans as Stephen Comegies; for the moment they lose their tempers, the truth comes out.”
“There’s one thing,” said Ben, “that pleases me most of all—of course, after seeing the members from Virginia safe,” hastily. “And that is that some one else has seen the good qualities of that little imp, the Porcupine. I’ve always contended that he was a faithful and an honest boy; but I could get few to believe me.”