All the while the sloop was rolling and thumping against the battery dock as if bent on staving every timber in her hull, and the waves, for the fresh breeze had kicked up considerable of a sea, were drenching all of us in great shape. I could dimly hear cries from the shore, as if those there were aware of what was going on but I gave no heed to them, knowing full well that Abe stood sorely in need of aid. Although I moved as lively as ever a fellow could who was more than half dazed from the first blow, I did not get into the cockpit in time to save Abe from a wicked clip that caused him to sink back on the timbers like one dead, and then the big Tory turned his attention to me. I had sense enough remaining to understand that my only show was to come into close action, for the fellow was my better at arm’s lengths, and I grappled at once, wondering how long it would be possible to stand him off, when I heard as if from afar off the cry: “It strikes me that the Minute Boys of Long Island are gettin’ a bit more than they counted on!” and then it seemed as if Sam was standing close beside the Tory and me. After that all was darkness, with the sensation as if I had suddenly been deprived of breath, and I knew no more until, having been dragged into the cabin, I heard Abel Grant cry cheerily: “Don’t waste the whole afternoon comin’ ’round, Ephraim, for you’ve had nothin’ worse than a bit of a chokin’.” Staggering to my feet I saw Abel at the helm, and understood from the heel of the sloop that she was under way. Near at hand was Sam, tying a bit of cloth which looked as if it might have been his own shirt-sleeve, around Abe’s head, and further on lay the big Tory lashed hand and foot with ropes. “Where did you come from?” I asked stupidly of Sam, and he replied with a laugh, as if that which we had been engaged in was nothing more than innocent sport: “The sloop must have known that it was a case of all the Minute Boys to the rescue, for she fell afoul of the dock within a dozen feet of where Abel an’ I were standin’. We saw her comin’ down under full sail, an’ wondered why you had got under way. Then the stranger at the helm suddenly ran forward, an’ by the time she was off where we stood, it would have been a blind man who couldn’t see that you fellows had got into some kind of a mess. We didn’t come aboard any too soon, an’ that’s a fact.” “Where are you headin’ for?” I asked, still feeling dizzy and with a most uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. “Anywhere!” Abel shouted from the helm. “There were too many Tories ashore to make it safe anchorage, so we put out into the stream till things were cleaned up a bit. Now if you an’ Abe have got your wits about you enough to let us know why these passengers are aboard, we’d like to hear the story.” Abe could not very well act as spokesman while Sam was tying his head up, therefore, in the fewest words possible, I told all we knew concerning the plans of the Tories, adding in conclusion: