“Clifford!” shrieked Peggy. “What does thee mean?”
“That because he is a spy,” cried Clifford, “he is condemned to die at sunrise.”
CHAPTER XXIX—“I SHALL NOT SAY GOOD-BYE”
| “How beautiful is death when earned by virtue! Who would not sleep with those? What pity is it That we can die but once to save our country.” —Addison’s Cato. |
“He is to die at sunrise.” The announcement came with such suddenness that for a moment no one spoke. Peggy stood as though stricken. Colonel Owen was the first to recover himself.
“Suppose that you unravel the matter from the beginning,” he suggested. “’Twill be the better understood. Do I hear aright that you were the means of discovering his duplicity?”
“It was I of a truth,” answered Clifford speaking rapidly. “I never trusted him; so, while the rest of you made much of him and received him into your confidences, I kept my eyes open. For a long time no act of his justified suspicion, and it did seem as though distrust was groundless. And then, ’twas just after we entered camp here at Yorktown, I came upon him one night in the woods south of the Moore House. He was pretty far afield, so I spoke to him sharply. He laughed, and said that the heat had made him sleepless, and that he preferred the air to the closeness of his quarters. I said no more, but resolved to double my watch of him. This I did, and three times have I seen him leave camp without permit. Confiding my fears regarding the reason for such absences to Lieutenant Bolton we followed him last night, and our vigilance was rewarded. Drayton met one of Lafayette’s men, and we were close enough to them to hear him repeat the orders issued by Lord Cornwallis yesterday to Lieutenant-Colonel Dundas concerning some movements which were to take place from Gloucester Point, and also impart other important information.
“Fearful lest some untoward incident might contribute to his escape we let him return unmolested to the camp before apprehending him. His lordship is quite cut up over the matter, and hath commended me publicly for my alertness. He hath also,” concluded the youth proudly, “placed the prisoner in my entire charge, leaving all proceedings in the affair to be arranged by me. There will be no flaw in carrying out the sentence, I promise you.”
“And all this time, while I have thought him disloyal, he hath been true, true!” cried Peggy brokenly. “Oh, I should have known! I should have known!”
“And he is in your charge, Cliff?” asked Harriet. “My, but you are coming on! Father will have to look to his laurels.”