“No; there’s no more wind at Wallabout than can be found here, which ain’t enough to float a feather. Because there was little show of movin’ the sloop, Abel Grant proposed to row across in the skiff an’ make the report in my stead, seein’ that I didn’t bring anythin’ of great importance.” “Why didn’t you go with him?” I asked, just a trifle impatiently, for at the instant it appeared to me as if General Putnam might think we were slighting our duty by thus sending a substitute with the report, even though it did not appear of great value in our eyes. “You know full well, Ephraim Lyttle, that to cross in the skiff to Master Dyker’s dock, than walk down to Bowlin’ Green, an’ return in the same way, would mean the spendin’ of twenty hours, an’ if I had done so one of you must have been left on the shore alone when the next messenger set out.” The lad spoke truly, and I understood that his had been the wisest course, but that which puzzled me for the moment was what we should do. Even though we had taken two prisoners, we were not warranted in leaving our post of duty to carry them to New York, and, besides, there was considerable doubt coming up in my mind as to how General Putnam might view our capturing the Tories. It was Abraham who settled the matter, by saying: “I reckon you two had better keep on to the sloop, an’ wait there till Abel gets back. I’ll toddle along the way I started, an’ you should join me by noon, though it’ll come a bit hard on the legs; but that you can forget in view of what you’ve escaped. When you get to the Narrows I’ll be in trim with whatever of importance I’ve scooped in.” By pursuing the course he suggested we would still be following, to a certain degree, the orders given by General Putnam, and at least one of us could be overlooking the doings of the Britishers during all the hours of daylight. Sam agreed this was the wisest course that could be pursued, and without further delay Abe went on his way, after stipulating that we set out to join him immediately upon Abel Grant’s return from New York. We pushed on toward Wallabout with somewhat lighter hearts because of knowing that there would be one of our number on duty when the sun rose; but I began to grow uncomfortably nervous regarding this capture of Tories when we had been sent out for no other purpose than to spy upon the enemy’s fleet. Very shortly afterward, as it seemed to me, my mind being so engrossed with the question as to whether we were doing right in taking Luther and Ezra to New York that time passed rapidly, we came to the shore of Wallabout bay. It yet lacked a full hour to daybreak; but, and this was a possibility I had not counted on, there was no skiff near at hand by which we could board the sloop. Abel Grant had taken the one owned by my father, and there was none other save at Sam’s home.