My antagonist was no sooner upon me than I recognized him as that Ezra Billings who lived near to Red Hook with his uncle, as rabid an old Tory as ever went unhung. The lad was a good twenty pounds the heavier, had often boasted of his ability to down me in a rough and tumble fight, and verily now was come the time when he had an opportunity to make his words good. Understanding that I must gain a speedy advantage if I counted on coming off best, it can well be fancied how desperately I struggled; but he was too much for me, particularly after getting a grip on my throat which I could not shake off, and then it seemed as if death stood very near at hand. I could no longer breathe; there came into my head a buzzing as if a dozen mill-wheels were running at full speed, and the strength left my arms. I believed myself to be dying; I was dimly conscious of a crackling sound, and all became a blank. When I returned to consciousness, which must have been very shortly after having been deprived of it, my arms were tied behind my back; I was lying near the bushes, and a dozen paces away two figures were bending over a prostrate body. If my life had depended upon it I could not have repressed the groan which escaped my lips on thus understanding that Sam and I had been worsted in the fight. We had outwitted the entire British fleet only to come to grief at the hands of two rascally Tories whom we should have downed with but little trouble! The career of the Minute Boys had been cut short very quickly, and in a manner to cause them shame. As I understood an instant later, Luther and Ezra were binding Sam when I saw them bending over him, for they soon stood erect, the work having been finished, and, seeing that I was aware of what was going on, that Stedman cur said in a tone of reproach: “So your race is run at last, Ephraim Lyttle! You had the advantage of me once; but it was short-lived, an’ now my turn has come to give you a dose!” There was anger instead of sorrow in my heart as he spoke, and I cried with no little satisfaction: “I got the best of you twice, you cowardly Tory, an’ shall live to give you another taste of the same medicine; but it will have a more lastin’ effect. You counted that the Britishers had paid off your score; but more than one fleet was needed to hold us!” [Illustration: “‘I’M ALLOWIN’ THAT A SINGLE VESSEL ... WILL DO THE TRICK THIS TIME.’”] “I’m allowin’ that a single vessel, an’ a mighty small one at that, will do the trick this time,” he replied with a menacing gesture which caused me to believe he counted on striking one who could not defend himself, and most like he would have done so but that Ezra Billings caught him by the arm, at the same time whispering in his ear. “Don’t be afraid that I’ll make a fool of myself!” he cried impatiently, throwing off Ezra’s hand. “I understand that he belongs aboard the frigate, an’ by daybreak to-morrow the scoundrelly Whig shall be where he can’t slip away in the fog!”