The men drew close together, and looked over the paper. As they did so a face rose slowly into view on the other side of the room, peering in at the open lattice. It was the face of Boston Bainbridge. “You are sure no one listens?” asked Joseph. “Ay; my men know better than to listen at the windows or doors of Jacob Van Curter; I would string them up to a swaying limb, or give them forty stripes, save one.” “I thought I heard a sound, a moment since.” “The girls, perhaps; open that door, and look into the kitchen.” Joseph rose and opened the door; the kitchen was empty; the fire burned low upon the hearth, and the rays danced upon the dishes in the dresser. “You heard the wind,” said Van Curter; “it is rising fast. It will rain to-night.” “I am glad I got in safe before the storm. Hark to that.” The wind was rising with a sullen and fast-increasing roar; in a few moments the rain begun to fall. Joseph stirred the fire with a feeling of enjoyment, and the two drew up to the table. “You remember this Captain Holmes—my curse upon his head—who would not pause when I told him to strike and stay?” said Van Curter. “I remember him well.” “He commands this post at Windsor; if any thing would make me long to take the post more than another, it would be the fact that I hate him. To him we may trace the entrance of these Yankees into our midst.” “Did you not invite them to settle?” “Yes, fool that I was to do it; but I did not know them then as I do now. I would as soon have let in fiends from the pit.” “Then they are not to blame for hanging on to their possessions. You should not have asked them here.” “They have learned to despise us, because we are so easily taken in. They are right in that; a greater set of dunderheads than those under my command never congregated before. If it were not for two or three of my officers, my blockheads would have their teeth drawn in the night, and never know it.” “What slander upon such men as the worthy Paul Swedlepipe and Mynheer Ten Eyck.” “There you have a specimen. What can a man do who must be guided, in a manner, by the advice of such men as those? It is enough to make one give up in despair.” “But they will fight, if it is necessary.” “Yes; it is their only redeeming quality. They are too thick-headed to appreciate the danger. But to my plan. I shall march out with forty men in the night, and get near enough to Windsor to attack them early in the morning. We will take the fellows prisoners and send them to the nearest English post.” “Very good; how many men can the English muster?” “Not over twenty, and those we will take by surprise.” “Captain Holmes is there.” “Yes. His brother is next in command, and Barlow next. I should not care to fight them if they are on their guard.” “I never heard of this brother of Holmes’.”