“Nat,” he said, “you have a wise head. You are right. As you say, let us be very, very sure. In spite of everything he may be innocent, and, in that case, if we charged him with this shameful thing, we should indeed have occasion for regrets. But he must be watched—constantly watched.”
“But if he goes back to Boston upon this mission of Mr. Adams?”
“I had forgotten that,” and Mr. Cooper grew thoughtful. “In that case he must still be watched; but how, is a thing that will require some turning over.”
Next day Ben rode into town alone. Early in the afternoon he returned, and his face was alight with excitement.
“Father!” he cried, for Mr. Cooper was standing in the doorway. “Ezra Prentiss is to ride to Boston—starts to-morrow morning with Mr. Revere, whom you’ve heard tell of. And,” throwing himself from his mare’s back, recklessly, “he wants me to go with him.”
Nat sat upon the stone step; at these words he turned his head and glanced up at his uncle. Like a flash the thought traveled from one to the other; there could be no mistake about what was in the boy’s eyes, and Mr. Cooper said to Ben:
“Very well; you may go, but not alone. Nat must go with you.”
Ben shrieked with delight.
“Why,” cried he, “Nat’s been asked. Ezra told me particularly to get him if I could. So you see, you’re not saddling a caretaker on me, after all.”
And as he rushed away to the barn, the well-trained little mare at his heels, Mr. Cooper said to Nat: