All this had taken but a moment; and as Ben clung to his antagonist he felt a glow of triumph. But in this he was premature, for just then the man who had gone down under his pistol shot arose to his feet, the blood streaming from a wound in his scalp, and lurched toward the boy. It would have gone hard with the latter had not fortune favored him that night. Cramped by the cold and weakened by hunger, Paddy Burk had labored along a score or more paces in the rear. But now, as the newly arisen man was dragging Ben Cooper from the one he held pinned to the ground, the Irish lad was upon him with a whoop; the cudgel twirled gaily and the man dropped to the road once more.
“Up on the seat with you,” directed Paddy, glaring at the driver.
But the speaker’s face looked so distorted in the dim lantern light that the driver was stricken with fear and could not move.
“Then I’ll up for you,” said Paddy, promptly. “Inside with you,” to Ben, who stood still dazed from the blow he had received; “and as for you,” pointing his bludgeon at the man with the greatcoat, who was scrambling out of the snow, “keep your distance, or by this and by that, I’ll give you a taste of the stick that you’ll not like.”
With that he leaped upon the seat of the vehicle, and grasped the reins; Ben, after a bewildered glance within that showed him a heap of canvas bags snugly tucked away in a corner, stumbled in and dropped upon a seat. Then with a yell at the now plunging horses, the Irish lad waved his cudgel above his head.
“Away with you, my beauties,” he cried; “sure it is mesilf that will give you a loose rein all the way to General Washington’s camp if need be.”
And so away they tore with their precious load, the lantern swaying madly, the carriage pitching from side to side.
CHAPTER IX
DEALS WITH THE ARRIVAL OF GILBERT MOTIER,
MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE
The dawn was well past when Ben Cooper and Paddy Burk dashed up before the Freemasons Tavern at Morristown in the carriage containing the fifty thousand dollars in silver and gold coin sent by Robert Morris. Word was at once carried to the commander-in-chief by the officer in charge; then the bags were carried into the building and placed safely under guard.
General Washington was at breakfast some hours later when Ben and the Irish lad were sent in, in response to his request. He received Ben kindly and thanked him with the utmost warmth for his gallant conduct. The lad, when given the opportunity, told Paddy Burk’s story as to how he was impressed into the British army, of his desertion, and of his rare courage in the rescue of the money bags.