the Wharton House prepared to try them. They held an
examination of the prisoners after which they--Crosby among the
rest--were sent back to their prison. Seemingly by accident, he was
left alone with the Committee for a few minutes and the plan was
concerted by which he might escape.

"At the northwest corner of the church was a window hidden by a
willow. He reached the ground through that, got rid of his loose
manacles, sprang out of his concealment, and rushed away past the
sentinels with the speed of a deer. The sentinels fired a few shots
after him, but missed him in the gloom; and he escaped unhurt to a
swamp."

"Oh, that was good!" cried Eric. "Did he have any more such escapes,
uncle?"

"Yes; twice after that he was made a prisoner with Tories, but managed
to escape each time. At one time Colonel Van Cortlandt was stationed
with a detachment of troops on the east side of the Hudson, to watch
what was going on upon the Neutral Ground. One day Crosby was with a
part of that detachment near Teller's Point and the mouth of the
Croton River, when they saw a British sloop of war come sailing up the
stream. It cast anchor in the channel opposite. Crosby and six others
then went to the Point, where all but one concealed themselves in the
bushes, while the other, dressed in infantry uniform, paraded the
beach. Of course the officers on the sloop soon saw and determined to
capture him. They promptly sent a boat with eleven men to take him.
But as the British landed the American ran. They pursued, not thinking
of any danger. Then Crosby and his companions began making a noise in
the bushes that made it seem as though they were half a regiment; then
they rushed out and called on the enemy to surrender--which they did
without firing a shot. The next day the stone church at Fishkill held
them as prisoners."

"I suppose Crosby was a born American, uncle?" Eric said inquiringly.

"Yes; born in Massachusetts early in January, 1750."

"That would make him twenty-five a few months before the war began.
But he did not live in Massachusetts?"

"No; his parents moved to New York while he was still an infant. When
he grew up he learned the trade of a shoemaker; but when the war broke
out he gave up his trade and shouldered a musket. He was living at
Danbury then, and was one of the hundred men who in 1775 marched to
Lake Champlain and fought battles in that quarter until Quebec was
stormed. It was after his return from that