Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-09-03

line and gave her free head when the
patrol challenged, dashing over the
moist roads, for, rs bad luck would have
it, the rain blotted out the ruts, leaving
the mares footprints patent 20 pursu-
ers, for the farrier put the same mark
ON the left forward shoe OF all Major
Lees horses
For moment, believe, they hest
tated dumfounded that so faithful a
soldier as 1 should suddenly initiate
Arnold In all the disaffection there
never had been a desertion from that
corps Who can be trusted? could fan
oy them muttering. 1 knew that Major
Lee would delay them all he could But
he, too, must carry out the play. He.
too, must appear astounded that 1, who
always had proved faithful, should all
at once become among the most faith
less thought all this while the mare
bore me over the road toward Bergen,
for designed to hail the kings patrols
at Paulus Hook.
But with all the delay had but lit
tie the start. Soon 1 heard them after
me and the mare almost spent The sky
lightened- The mare seemed to be go
LIZ CNOIA cAONNCA, anu Il Allow dc OttAnO
to the forks ON the hill, which is by the
Three Pigeons inn, above Bergen, that
they probably would catch me before /
could make the stone bridge below.
Nay, turning in my saddle. could see
in the darkish dawn Cornet Middleton
heading the pursuers and hear his loud
hello.
| At the forks, within a stones throw
of the Three Pigeons, for a moment l
elaborated Should / have my reputa-
ton all lost for nothing? They probably
would shoot me as it was, nor could
they ever believe me an honest man
Only for a moment did / hesitate,
You may believe, before turning direct
ly down the slope by Elizabeth Point to
the river, and there, as luck would
have it, was patrol i sprang from the
mare and wsded through the marsh in
to the river, hallooing. Just then the
pursuers perceived my detour, and a
bullet came singing around my ears.
pushed out beyond my depth. and the
men in the boat, compromising the
situation, pulled me in, firing and
shouting derisively TO my old comrades
whose curses reached me-
/ was taken to Sir Henry Clinton
who, examining me closely, ended by
believing in my sincerity, as ia faith
the desertion was plain enough. anc
that one from Major Lees corps
AS we had thought would be the
case, be recommended me as an hones
fellow to General Arnold, who, too
had run to the kings side. / could de
| -, CT
tone when he spoke of Arnold, who ha<
received his $40, 900 and his brigadier
ship as the price of his service. who We
was sincerely disliked, more because tn,
affair had cost the army Major Andre
believe. than for any other reason
/ reported that morning to the new
British brevet brigadier at Broadway
In the old bathrooms, over Burns Arms
!, do not know what / had expectes
of the man, had heard so much to hi
discredit. i saw simply an agreeabl,
hammered gentleman, who questione'
me closely and in the end believed tina
had been persuaded by his example
Strangely, too, he rented of a widow
Mistress Warren. whose daughter, Pris
ella Warren. once had made furiou
| 1ONS W III ~ A1AA Hall
ed, gray eyed girl, Mistress Priscilla
greeting, her congratulations TO me a
having come over from rebellion to 10y
atty, made me for a moment sickle.
again of the false part.
i must explain this to show how tina
which followed came about Nor di
Benedict Arnold fail to treat me wit
further consideration He promised t
= obtain me a commission in legion {
American loyalists in time to join tn
expedition Lord Howe was then prepal
ing to send to the Virginia capes /
the meantime, other decent lodging bt
ing hard to find, he had permitted III
T to take room at the Widow Warren I
| In fact, all had gone exactly as til
, plan had been laid had communical
q ed, as have said, with General Wash
ington, showing him, as had it frol
Arnold himself, who appeared to trus
me implicitly, the full extent of til
treaehery and the names of the fe,
, persons in any way implicated / hay
been told that this information firl
, gave the general in chief heart to bs
lieve there remained those he coul
q trust, and that the major general b
suspected was, after all, not in the a
I fair
. And now the rest was all plain al
mold would stroll in the garden to quis
his nerves before bed My desperate fe
low would hide behind the loosed pa.
ing, could be sure, at the appointe
, hour. / was now equally sure of MAJ
, ter Roland having the boat in READINGS
at the foot of the lane. Yet as though
OF it all, / felt dismayed. / looked u
to the ruined tower Of Trinity. almo:
praying TO keep my courage warm.
| decided to take tankard Of beer at tn
! tavern The night was dark enough
and now began q cold drizzle. Lon
since the Guards band had stopped o
the green What could be better tina
: such a night, made for the adventuref
, At last the clock licked near the tim
when General Arnold would descen
; for his stroll in the garden Even noV
: knew my man Hawkins was waitin
: in the lane. l paid my reckoning an
q l. Il