“What _shall_ we do? We can’t stand here idle while they are comin’ so fast!” “I reckon that’s what we’ll have to do,” Abel replied with that exasperating drawl of his which it seemed was unusually pronounced as if to irritate me. “That boat ain’t so near as it seems, for the surface of the water brings the noise a long distance. The cuddy is the place for us; it would never do to let the Britishers, if so be they are really comin’ here, find us waitin’ for ’em.” Having thus spoken he went into the cabin, and Abraham and I could do no less than follow, although it seemed to me that it was the most foolish move we could make, and so I told him when we had drawn the hatch lest the sound of our voices should be heard. “That’s a matter of opinion, Ephraim, ’cordin’ to my way of thinkin’; but p’rhaps you can tell me what we could say to the Britishers, if they found us waitin’ for ’em? In case we were really the honest fishermen we claim to be, what call would there be for standin’ watch while anchored here where no harm could come to the sloop if a livin’ gale should spring up? Why wouldn’t we be sleepin’, to be ready for a day’s work when the sun rises?” Abel Grant was right, as he had always contrived to be from the time he adopted us Minute Boys as his own particular following. A blind man could have seen that by thus being on the alert when the Britishers arrived, we would be much the same as advertising the fact that we were fearing they might pay us a visit, and without waiting to see what the others might be counting on doing, I rolled into my bunk. Abel Grant and Abraham followed my example, and as we lay there pretending to be asleep, with the clanking of the oars sounding louder and louder each moment, my heart beat so fast and furious that involuntarily I held my hand over it. If the Britishers had come aboard at that moment, one glance at my face would have been sufficient to show that I was thoroughly afraid; but, luckily, they gave me time to gather my scattered wits sufficiently to understand that unless I was willing to be made a prisoner, it was necessary to control myself. Ominously sounded the noise of the oars; the suspense was becoming greater each instant, until it was with a feeling of positive relief that I felt the sloop heel over as she was struck amidships, and with the shock came the hail: “On board there! Turn out, you bloomin’ Yankees, an’ give an account of yourselves!” Surely this seemed sufficient proof that Luther Stedman had worked our undoing, but, and it seems strange to me even now, because of the danger which I had feared was close at hand, my courage returned and I was able to follow my comrades when they tumbled out of the cabin with the utmost speed, looking and acting as if scared nearly out of their senses.