The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-06-26

orders from you or me- the Britisher
assured him.
Il wonder what has become of her.
said Arnold.
she has probably dropped down
the river for some reason Andre
answered. what am l to DOR
I'll take you to the house of a
man | know who lives near the river
and send you to New York by horse
with passports in the morning. You
can reach the British lines tomorrow"
Il would like that" Andre ex-
claimed. ut would afford me a well
come survey of the terrain
Smith will give you a suit of
clothes that will fit you well enough
said the traitor. "You and he are
about of a size. 1t will be better for
you to be in citizens dress"
So it happened that in the darkness
of the September evening Smith and
Andre, the latter riding the blazed-
face mare, set out for Kings Ferry,
where they were taken across the
river. They rode a few miles south of
the landing to the sore of Crom pond
and spent the night with a friend of
Smith. In the morhing the latter went
on with Andre until they had passed
Pines bridge on the Croton river.
Then he turned back.
Now Andre Jared along down the
read alone on the back of the mare
Nancy. He came to an outpost of the
Highland army and presented his
pass. 1t was examined and endorsed
and he went on his way. He met
transport wagons, a squad of cavalry
and later, a regiment of militia COM
ing up from western Connecticut, but
no n stopped him. In the faded hat
and coat and trousers Of Reuben
Smith, this man, who called himself
John Anderson, was not much unlike
the farmer folk who were riding
hither and thither in the neutral terri
tory, on their petit errands. His face
was different. 1t was the well-kept
face of an English aristocrat with
handsome dark eyes and hair begin
ming to turn gray
A little out of Tarrytown on the
highway the horseman Travelled, a
group of three men were hidden in the
bush-ragged, reckless, unlettered
country lads waiting for ows to come
down out of the wild land to be
MIXED. They were 'skinners" in the
patriot militia, some have said; some
that they were farmers sons not in
the army. However that may have
been, they were undoubtedly rough,
hard-fsted fellows full of the lawless
spirit bred by five years of desperate
warfare. They were looking for
Tories as well as for cattle. Tories
were their richest prey, for the latter
would give high rewards to be eX-
cused from the oath of allegiance.
They came out upon Andre and chal-
lenged him. The latter knew that he
had passed the American outposts
and thought that he was near the
British lines. He was not familiar
with the geography of the upper east
shore. He knew that the so-called
neutral territory was overrun by two
parties-the British being called the
"Lower" and the Yankees the Upper"
"What party do you belong tor
Andre demanded.
"The Lower" said ore Of the
Yankees.
1t was. ~ dou't oM 81
calculated te in mss
possible 1r rms
for Andre to have produced HIS pass
ports, which would have opened the
road for him. Instead he committed
a fatal error, the like Of which it
would be hard to find in all the rec
ords Of human action.
Il am a British officer" he de-
clared. please take me to your post"
They we're keen-minded men who
quickly surrounded him, A British
officer! Why was he in the dress of a
Yankee farmer? The pass could not
save him now from these rough,
strong handed fellows. The die was
cast. They demanded the right of
search. He saw his error and
changed his plea.
Il am only a citizen of New York
returning from family business in the
country" he said.
He drew his gold watch from his
pocket-that unfailing sign of the gen
tleman of fortune-and looked at its
dial.
"You can see I am no common fell
low he added. LET me go on about
my business"
They firmly insisted on their right
to search him. He began to be
frightened. He offered them his watch
and a purse full of gold and any
amount of British goods to be allowed
to go on his way.
Now here is the wonder and the
mystery in this remarkable proceed
ing. These men were seeking plumber
and here was a handsome prospect.
Why did they not make the most of