veled, a group of three men
were hidden in the bush--ragged, profane, abominable cattle thieves
waiting for cows to come down out of the wild land to be milked. They
were "skinners" in the patriot militia, some have said; some that they
were farmers' sons not in the army. However that may have been, they
were undoubtedly rough, hard-fisted fellows full of the lawless spirit
bred by five years of desperate warfare. They were looking for Tories
as well as for cattle. Tories were their richest prey, for the latter
would give high rewards to be excused from the oath of allegiance.

They came out upon Andre and challenged him. The latter knew that he
had passed the American outposts and thought that he was near the
British lines. He was not familiar with the geography of the upper
east shore. He knew that the so-called neutral territory was overrun
by two parties--the British being called the "Lower" and the Yankees
the "Upper."

"What party do you belong to?" Andre demanded.

"The Lower," said one of the Yankees.

It was, no doubt, a deliberate lie calculated to inspire frankness in a
possible Tory. That was the moment for Andre to have produced his
passports, which would have opened the road for him. Instead he
committed a fatal error, the like of which it would be hard to find in
all the records of human action.

"I am a British officer," he declared. "Please take me to your post."

They were keen-minded men who quickly surrounded him. A British
officer! Why was he in the dress of a Yankee farmer? The pass could
not save him now from these rough, strong handed fellows. The die was
cast. They demanded the right of search. He saw his error and changed
his plea.

"I am only a citizen of New York returning from family business in the
country," he said.

He drew his gold watch from his pocket--that unfailing sign of the
gentleman of fortune--and looked at its dial.

"You can see I am no common fellow," he added. "Let me go on about my
business."

They firmly insisted on their right to search him. He began to be
frightened. He offered them his watch and a purse full of gold and any
amount of British goods to be allowed to go on his way.

Now here is the wonder and the mystery in this remarkable proceeding.
These men were seeking plunder and here was a handsome prospect. Why
did they not make the most of it and be content? The "skinners" were
plunderers, but first of all and above all they were