could hear the preaching.

"And the worst of it is we are compelled to furnish them food and
quarters while they insult and annoy us," said a minister who sat at
the table.

After supper Jack and Solomon went out for a walk. They heard violent
talk among people gathered at the street corners. They soon overtook a
noisy crowd of boys and young men carrying clubs. In front of Murray's
Barracks where the Twenty-Ninth Regiment was quartered, there was a
chattering crowd of men and boys. Some of them were hooting and
cursing at two sentinels. The streets were lighted by oil lamps and by
candles in the windows of the houses.

In Cornhill they came upon a larger and more violent assemblage of the
same kind. They made their way through it and saw beyond, a captain, a
corporal and six private soldiers standing, face to face, with the
crowd. Men were jeering at them; boys hurling abusive epithets. The
boys, as they are apt to do, reflected, with some exaggeration, the
passions of their elders. It was a crowd of rough fellows--mostly
wharfmen and sailors. Solomon sensed the danger in the situation. He
and Jack moved out of the jeering mob. Then suddenly a thing happened
which may have saved one or both of their lives. The Captain drew his
sword and flashed a dark light upon Solomon and called, out:

"Hello, Binkus! What the hell do you want?"

"Who be ye?" Solomon asked.

"Preston."

"Preston! Cat's blood an' gunpowder! What's the matter?"

Preston, an old comrade of Solomon, said to him:

"Go around to headquarters and tell them we are cut off by a mob and in
a bad mess. I'm a little scared. I don't want to get hurt or do any
hurting."

Jack and Solomon passed through the guard and hurried on. Then there
were hisses and cries of "Tories! Rotten Tories!" As the two went on
they heard missiles falling behind them and among the soldiers.

"They's goin' to be bad trouble thar," said Solomon.

"Them lads ain't to blame. They're only doin' as they're commanded.
It's the dam' King that orto be hetchelled."

They were hurrying on, as he spoke, and the words were scarcely out of
his mouth when they heard the command to fire and a rifle volley--then
loud cries of pain and shrill curses and running feet. They turned and
started back. People were rushing out of their houses, some with guns
in their hands. In a moment the street was full.

"The soldiers are slaying people," a man shouted. "Men of Bos