“As for myself, no; but there are others who do, and if you are minded for a bit of work which is as dangerous as it may be hard, I can show you the road.” “Where? How?” Abraham cried so loud that Lieutenant Winterbottom motioned for him to be more cautious in his speech, and then replied in a whisper: “One of you, whosoever is chosen as leader, may come to General Putnam’s headquarters to-morrow morning at eight o’clock exactly. I will be there on the lookout, and lead him directly to the general himself, who has a word to say that may be in accord with your desires.” Having said this, Lieutenant Winterbottom wheeled about and made his way through the throng as rapidly as possible, leaving us three lads and Abel Grant staring open-mouthed at each other, unable to so much as speak one word. CHAPTER III. ON DUTY. As a matter of course we lads had hoped, when we decided to call ourselves the Minute Boys of Long Island, that the time would come when we might be called upon for service of benefit to the Cause; but we never dreamed it possible to become of such importance that an officer of the American Army would summon us for real work. It cannot be wondered at that we were, for the time being, puffed up with pride, or that we found it impossible to do other than stare into each other’s faces, wondering whether Lieutenant Winterbottom had understood General Putnam aright, when he was told to summon us. It was Abel Grant who first gathered his wits, and but for the fact that we knew him so thoroughly well, it might have been believed he was making sport, when he said with that lazy drawl of his: “It strikes me that I didn’t apply any too soon for the situation as admiral with this ’ere organization, cause, now that sich as General Putnam are achin’ to hob-nob with you lads, ordinary citizens like myself won’t stand any show of gettin’ in a word edgeways. Wa’al, why are you standin’ there like chickens that have lost their heads? Ain’t you countin’ on makin’ some arrangements for the visit, or are ye tryin’ to decide whether it’s to be made or not?” “Of course it is to be made!” I cried sharply. “A message like that which the lieutenant brought is the same as a positive order, an’ if we allow to call ourselves Minute Boys we must take as a direct command any word which comes from those in authority.” “Then why are you hangin’ ’round here, where there’s a chance of gettin’ inter sich trouble with some of these sore-headed Tories that you wouldn’t be able to come to time in the mornin’? If I was the general in command of this ’ere regiment, I’d order my men off to the sloop mighty quick, so’s to make sure they’d be in proper shape when needed.” It did not strike me that he, or either of my comrades, was waiting for any word from me, and I replied stupidly: “If you fellows think we should--” “If _we_ think!” Abe interrupted with a laugh. “It is for the leader, not the men, to do the thinkin’! Do you order us aboard the sloop?”