United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Fiction
He kissed her and bade her good night and returned to his many tasks.
He had visited the forts and batteries. He had communicated with every
outpost. His plan was complete. About midnight, when he and Solomon
were lying down to rest, two horsemen came up the road at a gallop and
stopped at his door. They were aides of Washington. They reported
that the General was spending the night at the house of Henry Jasper,
near the ferry, and would reach camp about noon next day.
"Thank God for that news," said the young man. "Solomon, I think that
we can sleep better to-night."
"If you're awake two minutes from now you'll hear some snorin',"
Solomon answered as he drew his boots. "I ain't had a good bar'foot
sleep in a week. I don't like to have socks er luther on when I wade
out into that pond. To-night, I guess, we'll smell the water lilies."
Jack was awake for an hour thinking of the great happiness which had
fallen in the midst of his troubles and of Thornhill and his message.
He heard the two aides going to their quarters. Then a deep silence
fell upon the camp, broken only by the rumble of distant thunder in the
mountains and the feet of some one pacing up and down between his hut
and the house of the General. He put on his long coat and slippers and
went out-of-doors.
"Who's there?" he demanded.
"Arnold," was the answer. "Taking a little walk before I turn in."
There was a weary, pathetic note of trouble in that voice, long
remembered by the young man, who immediately returned to his bed. He
knew not that those restless feet of Arnold were walking in the flames
of hell. Had some premonition of what had been going on down the river
come up to him? Could he hear the feet of that horse, now galloping
northward through the valleys and over the hills toward him with evil
tidings? No more for this man was the comfort of restful sleep or the
joys of home and friendship and affection. Now the touch of his wife's
hand, the sympathetic look in her eyes and all her babble about the
coming marriage were torture to him. He could not endure it. Worst of
all, he was in a way where there is no turning. He must go on. He had
begun to know that he was suspected. The conduct of the scout, Solomon
Binkus, had suggested that he knew what was passing. Arnold had seen
the aides of Washington as they came in. The chief could not be far
behind them. He dreaded to stand before him. Compared to the torture
now beginning for this man, the fate of Bill Scott on Rock Creek in the
wilderness, had been a mercy.
Soon after sunrise came a solitary horseman, wearied by long travel,
with a message from Colonel Jameson to Arnold. A man had been captured
near Tarrytown with important documents on his person. He had
confessed that he was Adjutant-General Andre of Sir Henry Clinton's
army. The worst had come to pass. Now treason! disgrace! the gibbet!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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