“It was he,” came from his lips in almost a shout. “It was the arch-traitor Benedict Arnold himself! He is here with Phillips, and is leaving a trail of rapine behind him.” The marquis clapped Tom on the back, as he continued, regretfully: “My boy, you have escaped fame by a hair’s breadth; by to-night’s work on the road you came within the wink of an eye of writing your name with your sword-point upon the pages of your country’s history!” CHAPTER XVIII HOW TOM DEERING RODE WITH WASHINGTON AT YORKTOWN TOM remained with Lafayette in Virginia for some time. “Your orders,” the general had said to him, “are to make all speed to General Washington’s camp, are they not?” “Yes, general,” answered the scout. “Then, you will make more speed by remaining where you are for a time. To attempt to win your way through the country north of here would be folly at this time--you would lose both your dispatches and your life.” “But,” protested Tom, “my orders were such as to----” “Your orders were to deliver the dispatches to General Washington,” spoke Lafayette, quietly. “And if you ride north now, it will be as though you desired the papers to fall into the hands of the enemy.” He smiled at the young scout’s indignant expression. “You love your country’s cause, I feel sure of that; but it is one thing to be brave and another thing to be foolish. Wait; in a few weeks, or days, perhaps, by hard riding and great caution you might get through. But at this time the attempt would be suicide.” Tom realized the truth of all this, but chafed at the delay; now that he had definite news of his father he burned with the desire to help him in some way. “If I could only put the matter before General Washington,” he told himself again and again, “he would have him exchanged, for the general would appreciate his service.” The friends of America in the British parliament, and they were many, were rapidly beginning to make headway at this time; Lord North was put to his wit’s end to maintain his position against them. “End the war,” was beginning to be heard night after night in both the Commons and the Lords; even the crusty old king was beginning to waver in his purpose. Colonel Phillips and the traitor Arnold had been beaten off by Lafayette and the gallant Baron Steuben; and just as Phillips was breathing his last Cornwallis arrived in Petersburg with 7,000 picked men. Cornwallis, while a stern, relentless soldier--indeed a ruthless, in many respects, was still a gentleman; and one of his first acts upon taking command, was to pack Arnold back to New York; the traitor was more than he could tolerate. The British at once seized all the horses for many miles around--hundreds of them--overran the James River district, and took possession of Richmond and Williamsburg.