ding to the street.
All this seemed favorable to Champe's design. He arranged with two
accomplices a plan which seemed feasible: a boat was to be in
readiness on the river; they were to seize and gag Arnold, carry him
through the alley, and from there through the most unfrequented
streets to the river; and should anyone attempt to interfere with them
on the way they were to represent him as a drunken soldier whom they
were taking to the guardhouse. When once they had reached the boat
there would be no further difficulty.

"Champe was to remove some of the palings in the garden fence and
replace them so slightly that they could be easily, quietly, and
quickly taken out when desired. When all was arranged he wrote to Lee
and appointed the third subsequent night for the delivery of the
traitor on the Jersey shore.

"No doubt Lee was well pleased, and on that evening he and a small
party left the camp with three accoutred horses--one for Arnold, one
for Champe, and one for the man who was assisting him--and concealed
themselves at a place agreed upon in the woods at Hoboken. There they
remained hour after hour until dawn, but no Champe and no prisoner
appeared. They were much disappointed, but a few days later Lee
received a letter from Champe telling how their plan had failed, and
assuring him that nothing could be done in the matter at present.

"He said that on the very day when his plan was to have been carried
out Arnold changed his quarters in order to superintend the
embarkation of troops for an expedition southward to be commanded by
himself. In this expedition the legion in which Champe had enlisted in
order to carry out his plans was to take part, and the poor fellow was
in a sad dilemma. Instead of crossing the Hudson that night with the
traitor as his prisoner, he had been obliged to go on board a
transport with that traitor as his commander; and that to fight
against, instead of for, his country."

"Oh, papa, did he go and fight against his country?" asked Elsie,
drawing a long breath of surprise and sympathy.

"He had to allow himself to be carried to Virginia along with the
troops of the enemy, and, I suppose, to go into battle with them,"
replied the captain; "but I dare say he was careful not to shoot any
of the Americans. He watched his opportunity to desert, and after a
time succeeded in so doing. He went up into the mountains of North
Carolina, and when Lee and his legion were pursuing Lord Rawdon,