hn Andre, under the
signature of John Anderson.

General Arnold was harassed by burdensome debts. He was a gambler, too,
and, of course, devoid of moral principle. His object was to pay his
debts with British gold.

His correspondence ripened into a plan by Arnold to deliver West Point
into the hands of the British, for which purpose a midnight meeting was
arranged between him and Major Andre. The meeting occurred at Dobb's
Ferry, when Arnold delivered to Andre a plan of the works at West Point,
together with a plan of attack by the British, when the post would be
surrendered on the ground that the American troops were too few to hold
it. The papers were concealed in Andre's stockings.

On his return, even after he had passed the American lines, three
patriotic representatives of the New York yeomanry, John Paulding, Isaac
Van Wart, and David Williams, stopped him, the first aiming his musket
at his head.

"Gentlemen, I hope you belong to our party," said Andre with as much
composure as he could command.

"What party?" responded Paulding.

"The lower party," replied Andre.

"We do," they said.

"I am a British officer, and have been up the country on particular
business," continued Andre, now feeling that he was among friends. He
was deceived by the dress which Paulding wore,--that of a refugee.
Paulding had been a prisoner in the hands of the British, confined in
that terrible prison known as the "Sugar House." He was released only
four days before. In that place his citizen's suit was taken from him,
and replaced by the refugee garb, so that the barbarity of Andre's
countrymen became the cause of his detection.

"I must not be detained for a moment," continued Andre, taking out his
gold watch, the sight of which showed to his captors that he was a man
of consequence.

"We are Americans, and you are our prisoner!" exclaimed Paulding.

Andre was astounded by this revelation, and he was ready to pay any
amount of money to his captors if they would let him go.

"Dismount!" shouted Paulding, seizing his horse's bridle.

"Beware, gentlemen, or you will get yourselves into trouble," replied
Andre.

"We will take care of that," retorted Paulding. "Any letters about you?"

"No."

"We'll find out about that," said Paulding; and they proceeded to search
him. Finding nothing of a suspicious character about his clothes, they
were disposed to let him proceed, when Paulding said:

"Boys, I am not satisfied; hi