when
Hiram opened it eagerly I read these words across the top:

"Information for Job Lord to send to the rebels."

Then followed what I knew to be a false account of the doings of the
Britishers; but neither Hiram nor I cared to read it entirely.

"I reckon here's enough to hang Master Lord, if so be we had him in
Cambridge," my companion said grimly, and then, his appetite for
evidence being whetted by that which had come so conveniently to hand,
he continued the search, finding four or five documents proving that our
host was in friendly communication with the Britishers.

Then we came upon that which caused Hiram to cry aloud in triumph and
satisfaction, for it was neither more nor less than a pass from General
Gage himself, permitting the bearer _and friends_ to leave the city by
any route whatsoever.

"I'm allowing we won't have to swim from here to Cambridge!" Hiram said
exultantly, as he carefully folded and placed the precious document
inside his stocking.

I believed this would be the end of our search, because we had found all
for which we came, and more. To people in our situation a safeguard from
the king's governor was something of more value than can well be
understood by those who did not live in the days when British might made
right.

"Now we can go when we please, and the sooner we set off the better, for
surely it would be folly to make any attempt at aiding Silas while he is
so closely guarded," I cried, and Hiram replied grimly:

"Even though we decide to leave without making any effort toward
accomplishing that for which we came, I'm allowing there's no need for
overly much haste, more especially since we can pass ourselves off as
Job Lord and friends easier after night has fully come."

Then Hiram began searching once more among the papers, this time doing
it in a methodical manner, and I, who feared each instant lest there
should come a summons at the door, or we hear tokens of trouble from the
room below, had half-turned to go toward the trap-door when Hiram caused
me to wheel about suddenly as he leaped to his feet, waving above his
head a slip of paper as if having taken leave of his senses.

"I'm allowing there's still a chance left for us to lend Silas Brownrigg
a hand!" he cried, speaking so loudly that I leaped upon him, covering
his mouth with my hand lest peradventure some one from the outside might
hear and be so inquisitive as to make an attempt at entering.

"Read this,