CHAPTER XXIII
AN INTERRUPTED JOURNEY
THE surprise of Little Peter at the unexpected action of Benzeor wasincreased when the escaping man seated himself in the whaleboat andquickly began to row the long craft back toward the Washington.
"Hurrah for the redcoats! Hurrah for King George! Hurrah for theBritish!" shouted Benzeor defiantly.
This boldness was as surprising to Peter as the sudden departure hadbeen; but, as he glanced toward the Washington and saw that theattacking party had already boarded her, and then realized that hehimself had been left alone by his recent companions, he was quicklyrecalled to the necessity of action on his own part. Without waiting toobserve the further movements of Benzeor or the British, he instantlyturned and entered the woods; but a quarter of an hour had elapsedbefore he overtook the men, whom he found resting by the side of theroad which led past the home of Ted Wilson.
To this house the entire party now made their way, and as Ted listenedto the story of Benzeor's perfidy, his anger broke forth afresh.
"I never ought to have let the rascal go!" exclaimed Ted excitedly. "Ihad him right there in the river, and if you hadn't interfered with meI'd have fixed him so that he never would have betrayed any one again.Now the rascal's where he can keep up his evil doings."
"He's shown where he stands, any way. That's some comfort," said one ofthe men.
"It may comfort you, but it doesn't me," replied Ted. "I'm a peaceableman, I am, and I never cared much about whether it was to be the King ofEngland or the Continental Congress that ruled over me. I don't see asit would make very much difference to me, for my part. But when thatrascal hangs my Sallie up on the limb of a tree,--Sallie's my wife, yeknow,--why, then Benzeor Osburn has jest got to look out for himself."
Ted's anger was so evident that Little Peter almost had a feeling ofsympathy for Benzeor, angry as he himself was at the treachery hisneighbor had displayed.
"Are you going to follow him up, Ted?" inquired the leader.
"Am I goin' to follow him? That's just what I'm going to do! I'm goin'to send Sallie and the babies over to your house, and I'm just goin' toleave my place here,--they can't steal that, any way,--and follow upBenzeor Osburn till I find him. I don't care if he runs clear to theother side of the Alleghany Mountains,--I've heard as how there was somemountains by that name away out west somewhere,--why, Benzeor'll wake upsome fine mornin' and find himself a-shakin' hands with me. Yes, sir,this land o' ours may put up with the Hessians, but it isn't big enoughto hold such a fellow as Benzeor! Hangin' Sallies! I'll put a stop tohis fine work! Sallie's my wife, ye know!"
"Remember us to him when you meet him, Ted," said the leader. "You cancharge him for the loss of the Washington, too!"
"His door will be free of all chalk scores when I'm done with him," saidTed savagely. "That's goin' to be my work, clearin' the land of pinerobbers, just as I once cleared it of pine stumps!"
"We must start on now," said the leader. "Take your wife and children upto my house, Ted. The women can fight together against the pine robbers,if they come there."
"They won't come there," replied Ted. "There'll be fewer of 'em whenI've done my duty. There'll be no more hangin' Sallies. Sallie's mywife, ye know."
"I suspected as much from your words," said the leader. "Are you goingwith us?" he added, turning, as he spoke, to Little Peter.
"No," replied the lad.
"What are you going to do now? You can't get your father out of the NewYork prisons. You'd better come with us."
"I can't. I've other work to do."
"Have it your own way, my lad, though I think you're making a mistakenot to come with us."
The band soon departed, leaving Little Peter and the huge Ted behindthem. There was slight likelihood that the men who had captured theWashington would venture on shore to pursue the fugitives, and theknowledge of this fact had made all the parties feel comparatively safe.
"What are you goin' to do now?" said Ted, when he and Little Peter wereleft alone.
"I'm going straight to Benzeor's house. After what I have just seen, I'mafraid to leave the children there another minute. I never would havethought Benzeor was a traitor, never! But he is, there's no doubt aboutit now! I don't know what will become of them. I don't know where toturn, or what to do."
Little Peter then went on to relate the story of the sad loss which hadoccurred in his home, Ted listening meanwhile with intense interest.
"It's Benzeor's work!" he said excitedly when the lad at last stopped."Yes, sir! You mark my words, Benzeor Osburn was at the bottom of itall. You'll have to go in with me and help rid the land of him! Therascal! Goin' round hangin' Sallies and shootin' mothers!"
"I've all I want to do to look after my little brothers and sisters,"said Little Peter quietly. "I don't know what I can do with them, but Ican't leave them at Benzeor's!"
"No more you can't," said Ted. "I'll tell you what to do with 'em. Jestbring 'em all down here and leave 'em with Sallie over at the captain's.I think they'll be safe enough there."
"Thank you; but it's most too far to bring them, I'm afraid. It's a goodtwenty miles from here, and we haven't a horse left."
"I wish I could let ye have one, but all of mine are gone too, exceptone little mule; and you'd have to turn him round and make him gobackward if you wanted to go anywhere, he's such an obstinate littlebeast. I'll tell you what I'll do, Peter! Just as soon as I've takenSallie--she's my wife, ye know--and the babies over to the captain's,I'll go with ye and help ye out. That's what I'll do for ye."
"Thank you again," replied Peter, "but I don't think you had better doit. You may be needed around here, and I don't know yet what I shalldo."
"Maybe you're right, Peter, maybe you're right. Well, have it your ownway. When are you goin' to start?"
"Right away."
Little Peter at once bade his friend good-by and started forth on hislong walk. He had appreciated the offer of the mighty Ted, but therewere many reasons why he wished to be alone, for a time at least.Benzeor's treachery was still so fresh in his mind that he knew not whatto do, and the excitement attending the escape from the Washington hadnot yet disappeared. Then, too, he did not know what the angry giantmight be moved to do. Ordinarily good-natured and easy-going as thepowerful man was, when once his wrath was aroused there would be nolimits to what it might lead him into. And Little Peter's heart was tooheavy, under the burden of his recent sorrows and present perplexities,to permit the lad to be drawn aside from the task which had presenteditself to him.
He had gone about half the way down the long lane which led from Ted'shouse to the road, when he heard some one calling to him. Lookingquickly behind him, he discovered Ted himself running rapidly down thepath toward him.
Startled by the sight and fearful that some new danger had appeared, hestopped, and then turned back to meet the man.
"What is it? What is it?" he called.
Ted stopped as the lad called, and, shaking one of his great fists inthe air, replied, "Hangin' Sallies! Hangin' Sallies!"
"What? Have they tried it again?"
"No! Once was enough, I should think, when Sallie's my wife, ye know! Ijust wanted to remind ye what the password was. It's 'Hangin' Sallies,'that's what it is! Ye won't forget it, will ye?"
"No," replied Peter soberly. "I'll try to keep it in mind."
"That's right! See that ye do! Hangin' Sallies, that's the word. I jestwanted to remind ye of it, that was all. Hangin' Sallies! Hangin'Sallies!"
Little Peter resumed his journey, but, until he passed around the bendin the road, whenever he looked behind him he could see the mighty Tedstanding in the lane, and shaking his fist in the air if he perceivedthat the lad beheld him.
What a strange man Ted was, thought Little Peter as he walked on. He hadknown him for years, as had most of the people in Old Monmouth. Hisfeats in the country wrestling matches had made him famous, andmarvelous were the tales told concerning his almost superhuman strength.It had been rela
ted that Ted one time had lifted a great ox bodily fromthe ground, and Little Peter had believed the report. And yet, with itall, Ted had always seemed to him like a boy. Kind-hearted, ever willingto grant a favor or do anything within his power for another, he hadnever before seen him when his wrath was kindled. "Hanging Sallies!"Perhaps Ted's feelings were only natural when he had discovered thepine robbers in their cruel act. Benzeor would not be likely to escapefrom his hands so easily, if the angry man once held him in his graspagain.
But Sallie Wilson was still alive, and the lad thought Ted's positionwas far better than his own. His mother shot by the pine robbers, hisfather sent away a prisoner, perhaps to die of starvation in thosedreadful prison ships of which so many stories already had been told,and his younger brothers and sisters homeless and helpless, and alllooking to him as their sole support. What could he do? Surely no one inOld Monmouth had suffered more than he, although Old Monmouth itself hadknown more of the evils of war than almost any other portion of our landin all that fearful struggle of the American Revolution.
"How?"
Little Peter's meditations were suddenly interrupted by Indian John, whostepped forth into the road and greeted him with his customarysalutation.
"Where did you come from, John? I thought you were up in Moluss'swigwam."
"Moluss gone, Bath gone, John gone, too. Come to help friend. Findfader?" he suddenly added, peering keenly, as he spoke, into LittlePeter's face.
"No; my father has been sent to New York."
"Bad. What boy do now?"
"I'm going back to Benzeor's to look after the children."
The Indian's eyes betrayed the question he might have asked, but didnot. Indian John soon induced his companion to abandon the road andfollow him through the forests. Many a mile was saved in this manner,and, under the burning heat of the sun, the shade of the great trees wasmost grateful to the sadly troubled lad. There was something in thepresence of the majestic trees which seemed to appeal to Little Peter.He was alone and yet not alone with such companions. Indian John alsoseemed to share in his feelings, and seldom spoke. For mile after milethey continued on their journey, and the shadows were lengthening whenat last they stepped forth into the road, which Peter recognized, andthen knew that Benzeor's house was not far away. The long journey wouldsoon be ended now, and fresh hope came to the weary lad, as he thoughtthat he would see the children again.
What he should do with them, however, was a problem still unsolved, andthe solution apparently was no nearer than when he had set forth on hisjourney from the home of Ted Wilson. With all of the anger which hadcome with the discovery of Benzeor's treachery, Little Peter could notbring himself to believe that either Sarah or her mother had anyknowledge of his evil deeds. His confidence in them was still unbroken,and his sole hope was that they might be able to suggest some plan bywhich the children could be cared for. As for leaving them at Benzeor's,that was impossible; and as the lad thought again of the discovery ofhis neighbor's crimes, he quickened his pace, and he and his companionbegan to walk more rapidly along the hot and dusty road. Not more thantwo miles remained between them and the end of their journey, and, inhis eagerness, Little Peter almost forgot his weariness and constantlyurged the Indian by his side to increase their speed.
They had been in the road but a few minutes when they heard the sound ofhorsemen approaching from behind them. All unsuspicious of danger,Little Peter and Indian John halted, waiting for the men to pass. Therewere five of them in the band, and all were riding swiftly. Their horseswere dripping, and with almost every step flung the foam from theirmouths. Surely something must be wrong, to induce men to ride like thatupon such a warm day, thought Little Peter; but his surmises werequickly driven from his mind when he recognized Fenton and Benzeor inadvance of the band.
Startled by the unexpected sight, he hardly knew what to do. The menwere too near for him to hope to escape their notice now; and, evenwhile he hesitated, he saw Benzeor quickly draw the rein on the horse hewas riding and leap to the ground.
"Get him! Shoot him! Stop that boy!" shouted Benzeor.
Indian John had been keenly watching the approaching band, and as heheard the shout of the angry man, he touched Peter upon the arm, andsaid, "Come."
Little Peter instantly responded, and followed his companion as hestarted swiftly across the open lot toward the woods which lay beyondit.
Boys of Old Monmouth: A Story of Washington's Campaign in New Jersey in 1778 Page 23