“As my life be it,” answered the boy with a resolute lift of the head. “It will take some little time for you to reach Portsmouth,” said Mr. Hancock, “and Captain Jones must be all but ready to put to sea.” “Then I go at once?” “Yes; there is a schooner called the Island Queen which sails for Portsmouth at the next tide.” “Which will be at ten to-night,” said Mr. Jefferson. “I will be ready,” returned the boy as they arose to their feet, and Mr. Hancock handed him the packet. “No one aboard the Ranger will know of this packet but yourself and the commander,” said the Virginian. “That is why we desire you to accompany the vessel; it will have another pair of eyes to watch over it.” “There will be still another pair, if O’Moore is permitted to go with me,” said Ethan, anxiously. “We had not thought of depriving you of the service of the faithful Longsword,” smiled Mr. Jefferson. As the Virginian spoke, there came a terrific uproar from without, and Longsword’s voice was heard shouting: “You thief of the world, to be listening at daysint people’s windows! Take that! and that! and that! ye bla’gard!” And looking through the window they saw the grim dragoon tearing across the green behind the state house in pursuit of a dark, foreign looking man, while with every “and that,” he aimed a vigorous kick at him. “Listening at the window!” cried Mr. Hancock. “A spy!” echoed Mr. Jefferson. “He must be seized!” Ethan, at these words, shot through the door and sprang away in pursuit; he cried out to Longsword, who at once strove to lay hands upon the man. But the fugitive was a fleeter runner than either of them; full speed toward the river he went, and in a little while was lost in the alleys and winding streets of that district. CHAPTER III HOW THE SHALLOP ATTACKED THE ISLAND QUEEN The skipper of the schooner Island Queen paced his after deck and waited for the strength of the tide. There was a two masted fishing vessel tied up at the other side of the wharf; she was a clean looking craft of the type called shallop, and carried two good sized lug sails. Her captain stood upon the pier, talking to the commander of the schooner. “You are not the only one that caught good luck at the last minute,” he was saying. “Who else has got a share of it?” asked the other. “I have. An hour after you’d told me that you’d got a couple of passengers for Portsmouth, a man came along and engaged my vessel for a run along the coast.” “What’s he going to do with her?” “I don’t know. But I’m going along; so I’ll be sure that all’s right.” “Money’s tight in these days of war,” remarked the skipper of the schooner, “but,” with a shake of the head, “my boat only goes out with reg’lar cargoes and on reg’lar business. I don’t like these queer cruises. I’ve seen strange things happen on ’em.” The captain of the shallop nodded his head and answered, soberly enough: