Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 114: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

i ik re oe it wa __ pitality of cake and rare wine that delayed General Howe and his staff the year before vanished when I heard voices. - one loudly cursed the wet undergrowth. I Ii2 (aching air of “‘Roslin Castle’ until I grew ear-weary, when he shifted to ‘Funeral Thoughts,” and attempted to imitate a drum beat at the end of each line to pound due solemnity home. I consigned him and his music to the ——. “Rain without music. is pretty dog-gone gloomy,” he complained. When the weather finally cleared the sun ~ was half way down the western sky and our stomachs were clamoring for food. Bucks pointed to some smoke rising from the trees on our right, and said: ““Great-uncle of mine lives over there. You fetch up a bit and wait and [’ll see if I can’t talk the old gentleman into handing over some cold victuals.” “‘Great-uncle your grandmother! That’s the Murray House on Inclenberg Heights. But go ahead, only be careful.” He vanished like a Mohawk seeking to surprize an outpost while I crawled under some dripping foliage to await his return. _ Had it been any place other than Robert _ Murray’s, the Quaker merchant, I would ~ have hesitated to have Bucks run the risk. s Mrs. Murray’s shrewd hos- after they had landed at Kipp’s Bay, there- _ by giving Scott, Wadsworth and Douglas time to fall back. That treat of Madeira saved a portion of General Washington’s -army from capture. No wonder the smoke ‘was a good omen to me. At the outset of our escape from the grog- shop we had agreed that in the event we be- came separated we would waste no time try- ing to find each other, but would make every effort to carry Howe’s plans to American headquarters at Ramapo. I had waited a short time only when I heard some one com- ing through the bushes. My first thought was that Bucks had abandoned his habitual stealth. My second thought was that it All doubts Then some was not Bucks approaching. crept from my hiding place and began fall- ing back toward the post road. “He was going in this direction,” said one of the newcomers. Then they burst through the bushes where I had been hiding, —five British soldiers. seen Bucks skulking near the Murray House and had given chase. He had elected to shift his course rather than to ‘ clumps of bushes. Evidently they had Adventure lead them to me but they had been unable to follow his trail. I retreated rapidly to the highway, think- ing to follow this north until beyond them. Their neglect to sound an alarm showed me they had not received any word of two deserters being wanted. Their investiga- tion was of a mosf perfunctory sort. I had barely turned into the highway when the thudding of hoofs sent me into the bush on the west side of the road. Three light horse troopers raced by, scanning the Then came a dozen troopers who halted on sighting the foot soldiers. “We are after a spy. Have you seen a man dodging about?” demanded a harsh voice. I parted the bushes and looked more closely. The speaker was Colonel Wentsel. Either personal animus, or else fear of a court-martial for consorting with a spy and allowing himself to be taken in, brought the colonel to the Outward. A soldier told about the stranger and Wentsel at once sent his troopers toward Inclenberg Heights with orders to beat up every hiding-place. One of the light horse that had galloped ahead of the troopers now rode back to learn what had happened. Wentsel ordered him to rejoin his mates and té block the highway at McGowan’s Pass. I practised all my woodcraft in fleeing westward. All my plans were changed by this unexpected peril. Instead of following the King’s Bridge Road I must take to the Bloomingdale road and make a wide detour which would use up much precious time. My luck in dodging from bush clump to tree, from rock to hollow, had been good. But now I came to a stretch of open ground. I hoped I was shielded from the horsemen in the post road and started to run for it. Half way across the opening my gait was quickened by the view-halloa. I glanced back and saw a trooper coming through the fringe of trees that bordered the lane to spur after me. and dived into it and out the other side and lost the fellow. “After I dropped him from sight I could hear him shouting for his companions to join him. I was badly winded when I entered the Bloomingdale road. The fellow’s discovery of me had made another nick in my plans. Instead of following the Bloomingdale road I must o~ I reached a thicket « 7 Comicboo . a * ~~ ,* ou a bs = all * ~ by 7 J - Pa s ~ ~e = S - Se es EN ge ee ee pe nn Ge