mb, 'he has not been here these two
days, nor have I heard from him within that time.'

"That aroused Washington's suspicions, but he went around examining
the works at West Point, and about noon returned to the Beverly Dock,
from which he had departed.

"As he was going up from the river to the house, Hamilton was seen
coming toward the party with a hurried step and an anxious, troubled
countenance. He said something to Washington in a low tone; they went
into the house together, and Hamilton laid before the chief several
papers which furnished conclusive evidence of Arnold's guilt. They
were the documents which Arnold had put in Andre's hands. With them
was a letter from Colonel Jameson and one from Andre himself.

"Jameson, thinking Washington was still in Hartford, had sent a
messenger there with these papers. While on the way the messenger
heard of the return of Washington, and, hurrying back, took the
nearest route to West Point through Lower Salem, where Andre was in
custody. So he became the bearer of Andre's letter to Washington. He
reached the Robinson House four hours after Arnold had left it, and
placed the papers in Hamilton's hands.

"Washington called in Knox and Lafayette to give their counsel. He was
calm, but full of grief. 'Whom can we trust now?' he said. As soon as
the papers had been examined, Washington despatched Hamilton on
horseback to Verplanck's Point, that an effort might be made there to
stop the traitor.

"But it was too late; Arnold had got nearly six hours the start of
him. When Hamilton reached the Point a flag of truce was approaching
from the _Vulture_ to that post. The bearer brought a letter from
Arnold to Washington. Hamilton forwarded it at once to the
commander-in-chief, then wrote to Greene, who was at Tappan, advising
him to take measures to prevent any attempt the British might make to
carry out the traitor's plans.

"But the plot had failed; and when Sir Henry Clinton heard of it the
next morning, on the arrival of the _Vulture_ at New York, knowing
that the Americans must now be wide awake to their danger, he gave up
all thought of carrying out his scheme for getting possession of West
Point."

The captain paused in his narrative, and Eric asked, "What did Arnold
write to Washington about, uncle?"

"To ask protection for his wife and child, and to say that love for
his country had actuated him in this thing."

"Humph! a queer kind of love I should say," sneered t