the distance between the camp at Cambridge and Dorchester Neck, on the
southeast side of Boston. Behind them, to the westward, lay Cedar
Swamp, while not more than half a mile to the front there was a
four-gun battery and Brookline Fort, on the Charles, near by.

While Jeremy Jagger was pouring forth his words with vociferous
violence, the man by his side glanced eagerly about the wide field;
but, satisfying himself that no one was within hearing, he said,
resting his hatchet on the lad's shoulder while speaking: "See here,
my boy. The brave man never boasts of his bravery nor the trustworthy
man of his trustworthiness. How you learned what you know of the plans
of General Washington I do not care to ask; but to-day and all days
keep quiet and show yourself worthy of being trusted."

"I'll try as hard as I can," promised Jeremy.

"No one can have tried his best without accomplishing something that
it was grand to do, though not always _just what_ he was trying to
do," responded the man, glancing kindly down upon the fresh, eager
lad, tramping through the snow, at his side. "Don't forget. 'Silence
is golden,' in war always. Not a word, mind, when you get home, about
the work of to-day."

They were come now to a spot where the marsh seemed to be filled with
sounds of wood-cutting. As they plunged into Cedar Swamp, the sounds
grew nearer and multiplied. It was like the rapid firing of muskets.

Running through the swamp there was a trout-brook, that bore along its
borders a dense growth of water-willows.

And now they advanced within sight of at least two hundred men and
boys, every one of whom worked away as though his life depended on
cutting a certain amount of willow-boughs in a given time.

"What does it all mean?" questioned Jeremy.

"It means," replied his companion, "work for your country to-day with
all your might and main."

"But, pray tell me," persisted Jeremy, "what under the sun the things
are for, anyway. They're good for nothing for fire-wood, green."

Mr. Wooster turned and looked at the lad and said: "A good soldier
asks no questions and marches, without knowing whither. He also cuts,
without knowing for what. Now, to work!" and, at the instant they
mingled with the workmen.

In less than a minute Jeremy's dinner-basket was swinging on a
willow-bough, his coat was hanging protectingly over it (you must
remember that it contained Jeremy Jagger's birthday cake), and the
lad's own arms were work