The pieces were fired, and in a few minutes, three or four more men made their way to the scene of action. "What is it? Where is the child?" asked one and another. "Is she found? Is she alive?" "Alive and well, and sound asleep in there," answered the solemn man. "And this man here says he found her, and was bringing her home, but I don't believe a word of it," said Joses Dandy, who seemed to have conceived an enmity at first sight against Caspar. "I believe the man is a British spy and meant to steal the child." "A likely thing for a spy to do!" observed the solemn man. "Any way, the man is a Hessian by his tongue, and he looks like a soldier," observed another of the party. "Just so, and I know him. He is a regimental smith," said Joses. "I saw him in Philadelphia last month. He is just a spy come to spy out the nakedness of the land, and it is all fudge about his finding the child." "And what was thee doing in Philadelphia, I should like to know?" asked the solemn man. Joses did not find it convenient to hear the question: "I say hang him up and be done with him!" "I say so too," said another, who seemed to be somewhat drunk. "The Hessians burnt my grandfather's house and shot down the poor old man in cold blood. Spy or not, I say hang him up without judge or jury! I wish we could hang all the rest with him." "That's what I say," added Joses. "Hang him up at once!" "I wouldn't say quite so much about hanging if I was thee, Joses Dandy," said a young man who had hardly spoken before. "If we were to hang up every one whose loyalty was suspected, thy women-folks might have to wait breakfast for thee longer than was convenient. What I want to know is how thee came to see him in the city?" "Anyhow, we can search him and see what he has about him." The proposition was acceded to. Caspar now gave himself up for lost, but he remained perfectly passive, while the search proceeded pretty roughly. "Here's a pass from Clinton himself," said the loud-voiced man. "What do you say now, Recompense Joake?" "Just what I did before," answered the solemn man, his face, however, lengthening perceptibly. "And here's a list of names," said another, "and in the same handwriting. What does this mean?" "What signifies what it means?" said Joses, hastily. "Haven't we enough to convict him? Hang him up, I say, and have done with him." "Take me out of sight and hearing of the child, any way," said Caspar. "Oh, thee will keep; there's no such hurry," said the young man, who was called Thomas Whitecar. "Here we are, six men against one; and besides, thee has a right to be heard in thy own defence. Let us see this list.—Hold up the lanthorn, Recompense.—Well, here's thy name first of all, Joses Dandy. I should like to know the meaning of that?"