"I understand not," continued Spikeman, as though the remark failed to reach him, "by what means the man was apprised of our design. Or it may be, that, by mere chance, he is absent; for some evil purpose, doubtless. It will, however, avail him nothing, for sooner or later he must fall into our net. I have lingered in the hope that he might return and be caught by the men on the margin of the wood—a hope I give not up yet, and, therefore, perhaps it were better to wait awhile."
"I pray you, sir," said Lieutenant Venn, "to do me a pleasure in one thing. Delay not our departure until it be so late that the sun is risen when we enter Boston. I confess to some shame on account of this night's work, and desire that what was begun in darkness may be ended in like manner."
"What fanciful follies be these?" said Spikeman. "Art thou degraded by any service which promotes the interests of the Commonwealth?"
"Nevertheless, be it a fanciful folly or grave wisdom, I will take the liberty to iterate the request, and will hold myself indebted if it be granted."
"Surely," said Spikeman, "it is a light thing, and because you wish it, it shall be done. Call in the men from the margin of the clearing, and we will begin preparations for return."
Let no surprise be felt at the character of the conversation betwixt the superior and inferior officer, and at the influence exercised by the latter over the former. The men under the command of the Assistant for the occasion were not regular soldiers but ordinary citizens; liable, it is true, to be called out at any moment to do military duty whenever an exigency arose, but without being subject to any very strict discipline. The most of them were voters, and hence a source of power, and therefore to be courted by any one ambitious of political distinction. Such an one was the Assistant, and he stood in about the same relation to his men that a modern militia captain, who is desirous of civil office, does to his company of soldiers, and who, through fear of giving offence and so losing the object of his aspirations, is obliged to relax the strictness of military rule.
On receiving the order, Lieutenant Venn started off to execute it, and, as soon as he was gone, Spikeman took Ephraim Pike aside.
"Ephraim," he said, "the badger may lie hid in some cunning place of concealment in the house, and after all laugh at our simplicity at our departure without him."
"That can hardly be," said Pike. "The house has been thoroughly searched, and I would pledge my life the Knight is not in it."
"Verily thou mayest be right, yet is there a possibility of mistake. Ephraim, with our hands on the plough, we will not look back. We must burn this nest of hornets, and should the Knight of the Melice be burned with it, there will be no harm done."