t his pipe under the
trees, and then the groom announced that his horse was ready and he was
quickly in the saddle. He said nothing as he rode away between the two
boys, but seemed to be thinking deeply.

"You rebels don't have very much money," he said at last. "What would
you consider a fair amount to allow me to escape?"

"You have made two serious errors," replied Dick coolly. "First, we are
not rebels, as I have frequently told you, and second we are not for
sale. Do you think we are as mean as yourself, who associate with
thieves and murderers to gain your ends? There is not money enough in
the world to induce us to violate our oaths."

"But why should you deliver me up to death, when I have never done you
harm?"

"You forget last night," tersely. "Who tied me in a sack and threw me
into the river?"

"Well, but I gave you a knife to---"

"You did not. That was Tom Fletcher. You had nothing to do with it. You
came out upon the river in a boat afterward to look for me, fearing that
I would escape. Don't add lying to your other faults."

The man rode on in silence for ten or fifteen minutes, and then suddenly
said:

"You will be no better off if you do deliver me up to your rebel
general, for Howe will be in possession of your wretched little city by
tomorrow and the lot of you may be shot."

"If it is such a wretched little city, why does General Howe bother
himself about it?" laughed Bob, Dick saying nothing.

"If you will let me go I will find a way for you to escape, and---"

"If you say another word on that subject I will gag you!" interrupted
Dick sternly. "We are not to be bought, I tell you!"

Hughson flushed and remained silent after that, and at length the boys
met some American soldiers and turned the spy over to them.

"That disposes of him," said Dick shortly.

"Yes, but he has been a very troublesome fellow, and would have been if
we had not caught him. That was a very fortunate meeting."

"Except for him!" grimly.

"Very true, but, as Patsy says, we don't consider the enemy's feelings
in such matters."

Returning to the camp, the boys heard from Mark that there had been
considerable activity among the ships of the enemy during the afternoon,
and that there were more at Governor's Island and one or two much nearer
the mouth of the Hudson than during the morning.

"It is all very threatening," declared Dick, "and I think that the spy
was right when he said that Howe will try to be