ull the boat down to the Charles
river. Silas had gained the encampment and unfolded his budget of news
before they arrived.

From some of our people who came out of the town under pass from General
Gage, it was learned that no action had been taken by the Britishers
regarding Archie's escape, yet it was not safe for him to venture into
Boston. Silas had remained with the army because, so his father
believed, there was no real need of his coming back until work had been
found for us Minute Boys to do. Master Brownrigg claimed that there were
enough of us in town to get all the information regarding the Britishers
that could be desired. In fact, as Hiram represented it, there was
little need for us lads to act the part of spies while so many of our
people could procure a British pass.

Now, however, was come the time when we lads, were called upon to show
of what metal we were made, and, therefore, Hiram had been sent to
summon the Minute Boys; not on an expedition of a warlike nature, much
to my sorrow, but simply to aid in the work of gathering supplies for
the army at Cambridge.

Our soldiers numbered no less than sixteen thousand, so Hiram assured
me, and while the people from the country round about gave generously
from their stores, it was a difficult matter for the leaders, all
unprepared as they were to care for such a body of men, to keep up the
supply of provisions. It had been decided that, not only in order to
provide rations for our own people, but to aid in cutting off food from
the enemy, the farms on the islands near to Boston were to be ravaged
and everything eatable, whether belonging to friend or foe, was to be
transported to Cambridge, if indeed that might be done.

Now it seems, as I learned later, for he himself was all too modest to
admit having been given command of an important undertaking, that Hiram
had been charged with the work of seizing on Noddle and Hog islands such
provisions as might be found, to which end he was provided with two
small sloops, and had selected from the army four men whom he could
trust to aid him in the task.

As a matter of course such small force was all insufficient to perform
the necessary labor; but he had hit upon the plan of impressing us
Minute Boys into service, and therefore it was that during the night,
and despite the strict guard kept by the Britishers, one of his vessels,
taking advantage of a stiff breeze, had set him ashore near to Hudson's
point,