Youth, Vol. I, No. 6, August 1902: An Illustrated Monthly Journal for Boys & GirlsVarious
General
Youth, Vol. I, No. 6, August 1902: An Illustrated Monthly Journal for Boys & Girls
Various
Children's literature -- Periodicals
To the strains of martial music the sun sank to rest, and as the
streets grew dark the boisterous mirth of the soldiery disturbed those
of the inhabitants who, fearful still of some untoward act upon the
part of the invaders, had retired behind the barred doors of their
homes. In High Street and on the commons camp fires were burning, and
Hadley wandered among them, watching the soldiers cooking their evening
meal. Most of the houses he passed were shut; but here and there was
one wide open and brilliantly lighted. These were the domiciles where
the officers were quartered, or else, being the abode of “faithful”
Tories, the proprietors were celebrating the coming of the king’s
troops. Laughter and music came from these, and the Old Coffee House
and the Indian Queen were riotous with parties of congratulation upon
the occupation by the redcoats.
As Hadley hobbled back to Master Pye’s past the tavern, he suddenly
observed a familiar face in the crowd. A number of country bumpkins
were mixing with the soldiery before the entrance to the Indian Queen,
and Hadley was positive he saw Lon Alwood. Whether the Tory youth
had observed him or not, Hadley did not know; but the fact of Lon’s
presence in the city caused him no little anxiety and he hurried
on to the Quaker’s abode. He wondered what had brought Lon up to
Philadelphia--and just at this time of all others?
“The best thing I can do is to get out of town as quick as
circumstances will permit,” thought Hadley, and upon reaching Friend
Pye’s he told the old Quaker how he had seen somebody who knew him in
the city--a person who would leave no stone unturned to injure him if
possible.
“We must send thee away, then, Hadley,” declared the Quaker. “Where
wilt thou go with thy wounded leg?”
“I’ll go home. There isn’t anything for a wounded man to do about here,
I reckon. But the leg won’t hobble me for long.”
“Nay, I hope not. I will see what can be done for thee in the morning.”
Friend Jothan Pye was considered, even by his Tory neighbors, to be
too close a man and too sharp a trader to have any real interest in the
patriot cause. He had even borne patiently from the Whigs much calumny
that he might, by so doing, be the better able to help the colonies.
Now that the British occupied the town, he might work secretly for the
betterment of the Americans and none be the wiser. He had already gone
to the British officers and obtained a contract for the cartage of
grain into the city for the army, and in two days it was arranged that
Hadley should go out of town in one of Friend Pye’s empty wagons, and
he did so safely, hidden under a great heap of empty grain sacks. In
this way he traveled beyond Germantown and outside the British lines
altogether.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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