na Lyon was the smartest girl in the village
no one could say that any of the other little girls ever forgot to be
well-mannered.

Rebecca followed her friend to the door, and they walked down the path
together, while Anna and Luretta questioned Mr. Weston eagerly as to
Paul's success in capturing a rabbit, and were made happy with the news
that he had secured two young rabbits, and that they were safe in the
canoe which Paul was now paddling down the river, towing the liberty
tree behind him.

Rebecca and Lucia had gone but a few steps when Lucia whispered: "We
mustn't let them put up the liberty tree. Oh, Rebby, why didn't you try
to stop your father going after it?"

"How could I?" responded Rebecca. "And when I said: 'Why must Machias
have a liberty pole?' he was ill pleased with me, and said I must be
loyal to America's rights. Oh, Lucia! are you sure that----"

But Lucia's hand was held firmly over Rebby's mouth. "Ssh. Don't speak
it aloud, Rebby. For 'twould make great trouble for my father, in any
case, if people even guessed that he knew the plans of the British. But
I could not help hearing what he said to Mother the day he sailed. But,
Rebby, we must do something so the liberty pole will not be set up."

"Can't we tell my father?" suggested Rebecca hopefully.

"Oh, Rebecca Weston! If your father knew what I told you he would do his
best to have the liberty pole put up at once," declared Lucia.

"But I have a plan, and you must help me," she continued. "Paul Foster
will bring the sapling close in shore near his father's shop, and it
will rest there to-night; and when it is dark we must go down and cut it
loose and push it out so that the current will take it downstream, and
the tide will carry it out to sea. Then, before they can get another
one, the _Polly_ will come sailing in and all will be well."

"Won't the British ship come if we do not put up the liberty pole?"
asked Rebecca.

"There! You have said it aloud, Rebby!" whispered Lucia reprovingly.

"Not all of it; but how can we go out of our houses in the night,
Lucia?" replied Rebecca, who had begun to think that perhaps Lucia's
plan was the easiest way to save the village. For Lucia had told her
friend that the _Polly_, of which Lucia's father was captain, and the
sloop _Unity_, owned and sailed by a Captain Jones of Boston, would be
escorted to Machias by an armed British ship; and if a liberty pole was
set up the British would fire upon th