“It may chance we shall find others who will be glad to join the Minute Boys of Long Island, and if we could get together no more than twelve, let me tell you, Abel Grant, it would be within our power to do considerable for the Cause. A round dozen of boys, from fourteen to sixteen years of age, could come near, under certain circumstances, to doing the work of as many men, more particularly if the war should be brought here on our own island.” I spoke hotly, and Abel, seeing that he had rubbed us a trifle harder than was friendly, made haste to say: “I grant you, Ephraim, that even no more than three lads, with such a sloop as you own, could do very much at certain times, an’ I am not belittlin’ the general idee. Of course there’s no chance we shall see anything of war here on the island; but yet--” “And why not?” Abraham interrupted quickly. “My father says the Britishers will soon come to drive the Colonial forces out of New York, an’ when that is done this island of ours is the very likeliest place on which to make a landin’.” “I won’t attempt to set up my opinion against your father’s, Abe; but at the same time I’ve got the right, or shall have when the Congress declares us free an’ independent, to believe whatsoever I please. Jest now, however, there’s scant reason why we should spend overly much time tryin’ to figger what the Britishers will do next month or next year, ’cause things are gettin’ a mite hot on the New York side. Master Goodhue came over from market this mornin’, an’ says the plot of Tryon’s is common news. One of General Washington’s own guardsmen has been arrested, an’ Master Forbes, the gunsmith, is in prison. Why not take a run over this afternoon, an’ give me a passage?” There was no need for Abel to spend very much breath in favor of either proposition. The news that arrests had already been made fired us as nothing else could have done, and, without waiting to learn whether one or all of us might be needed at home, we set about making ready for the voyage, the conversation I have set down being carried on at the head of the cove where the Swiftsure was anchored. In a twinkling, so excited were we by the news Abel gave us, the sloop was under way, and our passenger began repeating all he had heard from Master Goodhue. He was a long while in the telling, as if thereby he might pay the better price for his passage; but, boiled down into a reasonably short story, and added to what we already knew, the facts in the matter were much like this: