He sprang forward, and, just as he passed the corner of the edifice, his head struck something heavy but yielding, which toppled over sidewise with a grunt, and upon which Philip fell prone, forcing from it a second grunt a little less vigorous than the first. 'Twas a human body, that had come from the front of the house at the same instant in which Philip had darted from along the side. "Shall I choke him to assure silence?" Phil hurriedly asked himself, and instinctively made to put his hands to the man's neck. But the body under him began to wriggle, to kick out with its legs, and to lay about with its hands. "What the hell d'yuh mean?" it gasped. "Git off o' me!" Philip scrambled promptly to his feet, having recognised the voice. "I'll stake my life, it's Meadows!" "Yes, it is, and who in the name of hellfire an' brimstone--?" "Hush, Bill! Don't you know my voice? Let me help you up. There you are. I'm Philip Winwood!" "Why, so y'are, boy! Excuse the way I spoke. But what on airth--?" "No matter what I'm doing here. The thing is to get back to camp. Come! Is the wharf a safe place for me?" "Yes, at this hour of a dark night. But I'd like to know--" "Keep with me, then," whispered Philip, and made for the wharf, holding the old watchman's arm. "Show me where there's a small boat. I must row to the Jersey side at once, and then ride--by heaven, I wish I might get a horse, over there, without going as far as Dan Ellis's! I left mine with him." "Mebbe I can get you a hoss, yonder," said Meadows. "An' I reckon I can row you round an' acrost, 'thout their plaguey ships a-spyin' us." "Then, by the Lord," said Philip, while Meadows began letting himself down the side of the wharf to the skiff which he knew rode there upon the black water, "'tis enough to make one believe in miracles, my running into you! What were you doing out so late?" "Mum, sir! I was jest back from the same camp you're bound fur. 'Tain't five minutes since I crawled up out o' this yer skift." "What! And did you meet a party going the other way--toward our camp, I mean?" "Ay," replied Meadows, standing up in the boat and guiding the legs of Philip as the latter descended from the wharf. "I watched 'em from the patch o' woods beyont Westervelt's. I took 'em to be Major Lee's men, or mebbe yours, from their caps and plumes; but I dunno: I couldn't see well. But if they was goin' to the Morristown camp, they was goin' by a roundabout way, fur they took the road to the right, at the fork t'other side o' them woods!" "Good, if 'twas a British troop indeed! If I take the short road, I may beat 'em. Caps and plumes like ours, eh! Here, I'll pull an oar, too; and for God's sake keep clear of the British ships."