le, sheep, and pigs within fifty miles of Boston, but General Howe
could not lay his hand on one of them. The winter storms were on, and
the ships sailing down the Thames or from Bristol Channel had a hard
time of it before losing sight of the hills of Devon. The people along
the Cornwall shores beheld the seashore strewn with carcasses of
cattle, sheep, and pigs, tossed overboard from the decks of foundering
vessels. The few cattle that survived the six weeks' tossing on the
sea were but skin and bones when the ships dropped anchor by Castle
William.

In contrast, Tom Brandon and the soldiers under General Washington had
plenty of good food. It was a tantalizing handbill which Benjamin Edes
printed on his press at Watertown.

Tom Brandon, on picket at Charlestown Neck, hailed the Britisher a few
rods distant.

"How are you, redcoat?"

"How are you, rebel?"

"Say, redcoat, if you won't pop at me, I won't at you."

"Agreed."

"Wouldn't ye like a chaw of tobacco, redcoat?"

"I wouldn't mind."

"All right. Here's a plug with my compliments; 'tain't poisoned. Ye
needn't be afraid of it," said Tom, tossing it to him.

The Britisher opened the paper and read:--

_American Army._ _English Army._

1. Seven dollars a month. 1. Three pence a day.
2. Fresh provisions in plenty. 2. Rotten salt pork.
3. Health. 3. The scurvy.
4. Freedom, ease, affluence, 4. Slavery, beggary, and want.
and a good farm.

Other pickets besides Tom were tossing the handbills to the
Britishers. Abraham Duncan, going here and there along the streets,
saw the redcoats reading them, and night after night soldiers
disappeared, never again to shoulder a musket in the service of the
king.

Shut up in the town with nothing to do, the troops became lawless,
breaking into houses and plundering the people. In vain were the
efforts of General Howe, by severe punishments, to prevent it; giving
one soldier four hundred lashes on his bare back; another six hundred;
hanging a third.

Hard times had come to the people of Boston. In the autumn, General
Howe had issued a proclamation, threatening with execution any one who
should attempt to steal away from the town without his consent; but
now he would gladly have them go, only they must obtain permission. He
could not supply them with food, neither with fuel. He gave the
soldiers leave to rip the boards from the Old No