ould convince you that while my coat is red my heart is
true blue."

"How long have you been in the British army?" little Frenchie asked.

"Since my Lord Cornwallis was in James Town. There it was I enlisted,
representing myself as a Tory at heart who had been forced to take up
arms in the American army, and thus far, as it seems to me, I have
conducted myself in such manner as not to raise any suspicion regarding
my purpose, else had I long since been dancing with nothing beneath my
feet."

"And you say you knew during this last day what was our purpose in
coming here?" Pierre continued.

"I suspected it, lad, because of seeing this old negro stealing into the
cabin yesterday morning just before daylight, and, wondering what his
purpose might be in coming here, I kept close watch over the building
until I saw you lads enter it and afterward wander around the
encampment. You did not cloak your designs so closely but that a
watchful Britisher might have had an inkling, for I noted more than once
that you were taking careful heed to all the fortifications, although
why you lingered so long near the quarters of Simcoe's Rangers I failed
to understand."

Then little Frenchie told him what our original purpose was in coming to
the town of York; explained that we would have been Minute Boys until
the time when we were forced to take Horry Sims a prisoner, and
otherwise gave all the details which he had passed over when he first
gave up his heart to the man who had seemingly made us captives.

"Now if you please, sir, will you tell us why you would have been
counted a deserter from the British army if you had not had your
suspicions aroused regarding us?" Pierre asked in conclusion, and Morgan
replied promptly:

"It is absolutely necessary General Lafayette have early information of
the work which is being done here in York, and in order that there may
be no uncertainty as to getting word with him, some one must set off
without delay, for, unless I mistake, the American forces will besiege
Cornwallis as he lays here in much the same as a trap, after which to go
back and forth between this place and Williamsburg will be exceeding
difficult. If I myself go then I must be absent such a length of time
that I shall be set down as a deserter, and could not return save at
cost of my life, whereas one of you lads could repeat my words to the
marquis as well as I."

"Why not more than one?" I asked in my folly, thinking that