“Who be yeou, Mister, an’ what d’ye want?” drawled the teamster, rising in his seat and throwing the light of his lantern directly into the colonel’s eyes, so that by no possibility he might see into the back of the wagon. “There seems to be a slather o’ folks ridin’ this road ter-night.” “See you, sirrah!” exclaimed the colonel, riding close up to the driver and scanning his smoothly-shaven, humorous face closely. “Has a boy on horseback just passed you?” “Wa-al, now, I couldn’t tell whether it was a boy ’r th’ old Nick himself,” declared Holdness, with apparent sincerity; “but suthin’ went by me as slick as er streak o’ greased lightnin’.” “Sure he passed you?” repeated the British officer. “Honest Injun!” returned Holdness, with perfect truth. “I didn’t ketch much of a sight of him; but he went past. What’s goin’ on, anyway, sir?” But Colonel Knowles, having considered that he had found out all that was possible from the countryman, paid no attention to his question, but turned to the dragoons who now thundered up. “He’s still ahead of us, men!” he cried. “We must overtake him before he reaches the ferry--” “Indeed, we must, Colonel,” interposed the sergeant in command of the dragoons. “There will be a force of the enemy at the ferry, it’s likely, and we must not be drawn into any skirmish. Those were my orders, sir, before I started.” “After him at once!” shouted the older officer. “I tell you, the boy must be stopped. The papers he bears may be of the utmost importance.” They were all off at a gallop the next instant, and the axles of the heavy wagon began to creak again. “Them fellers seem toler’ble anxious ter see you, Had,” drawled Holdness, turning half around in his seat. “What yeou been doin’?” Hadley related in a few words the excitement at the inn and his escape from the barn on Black Molly. “And now I want to know what to do with the papers, Lafe. Will you take ’em, and--” “No, sir! I can’t do it. I’ve orders to perceed just as I am perceedin’ now, an’ nothin’ ain’t goin’ ter stop me.” “But the papers may be of importance. The man said they were for General Washington.” “Then take ’em across the river an’ give ’em ter the Commander-in-Chief yourself. That’s what yeou do, sonny!” “Me go to General Washington?” cried Hadley. “What would Jonas say, anyway?” “Don’t yeou fret erbout Jonas. I’ll fix him as I go by. I can’t relieve ye of any responsibility; the duty’s yourn--yeou do yer best with it.” Hadley was silent for a time. “I’ll do it, Lafe!” he exclaimed, finally. “But I don’t know what Uncle Ephraim will say when he hears of it. He’ll think I’ve run away to join the army.” “Don’t yeou worry erbout ol’ Miser Morris, Had. He’s as mean a Tory as there is in New Jersey, ef he is your kin. I’ll stop right here an’ you git the mare out.”