The Liberty Boys Running the Blockade | Page 9

Harry and Sam managed to scramble to their feet, but were not quick enough to intercept the man, who made a sudden spring, dashed Will aside, and was out into the passage.
"After him!" cried the boys in unison.
But that was a difficult matter, for the passage, like the room, was cluttered with packages and bundles of various sizes. They could hear the sound of his footsteps, but could catch no glimpse of him, nor could they tell which way he had gone, for passages seemed to open on both sides.
"H'm! I'm afraid we've lost him!" exclaimed Will, as they came to a standstill in the dark. "I wish we had a better light than these matches give. It's impossible to chase around here in the dark among all these boxes and packages, and with passages leading every which way."
"Listen!" exclaimed Harry. "There's some one coming this way."
There was the sound of more than one man coming toward them from the river side of the house.
"We might better conceal ourselves," whispered Will.
The three boys quickly drew to one side, and feeling a barrel standing near the wall, one dropped behind it, while another hid behind a box, and the other concealed himself in an angle of the wall. The sounds did not proceed from the passage through which the three boys had just passed, but from one on the right side, and seemed to come from more than one person and who were trying to proceed quietly, evidently with the intention of keeping their presence unknown as long as possible.
"They must be somewhere about here," they heard some one whisper. "We must never let them get away."
Then suddenly a lantern flashed its light over their heads, and they heard the words:
"Well, they're not here, at any rate."
The steps passed their hiding places, and the boys decided that there were three men.
"If we could meet them on our own ground, we'd be more than a match for them," muttered Harry. "But this strange place and in the dark, we'd be completely at their mercy."
"Yes, and with the other rascal lurking about," answered Sam.
Just then they heard a long, shrill, peculiar whistle. The boys started, for they did not recognize it. Following almost immediately came the report of fire arms.
"Come along, boys!" cried Harry. "There's something doing somewhere, and we must be on the spot!"
They all rushed on blindly in the dark, following the direction whence the shot proceeded, the way still as dark as Erebus, but seemingly straight ahead. When Dick and his partner reached the stone house on the river, the man would have passed the door, but Dick held him back, saying sharply:
"I know the house. I want to save time by having you show me its secret passages and explain what nefarious practices are being carried on in the place."
The man made no reply, but walked up the steps to the front door, opened it with a key, and then passed into the unlighted hall, into which the daylight could not penetrate, on account of the solid wooden door shutting it off from the street, and the doors into the rooms all being closed. A sudden misgiving seized Dick. Had he been prudent in coming into this strange house alone with an avowed enemy? It was true the Liberty Boys were somewhere about, but could they reach him in time, should danger present itself? He drew out both pistols, and backed against the wall, while he made the man procure a light. Instead he gave a long shrill whistle, which was immediately answered, and there could be heard the onrushing of feet. The Tory gave a mocking laugh, exclaiming:
"Captain Slater of the Liberty Boys has walked into his own trap!"
The only reply Dick made was to give the melancholy hoot of an owl. The prisoner jumped and looked about, and then laughed a little sheepishly, but at the same instant, there came bursting into the hallway the three ruffians who had passed the other boys such a short time before.
"Surrender!" hissed the Tory.
CHAPTER VI.
--In Dangerous Quarters.
"Not at all!" cried Dick, pistols in hand and barring the passage of the three men. "Stop where you are! Hallo, boys!"
"All right, Captain, here we are!" shouted Sam and Harry.
"Sure we'll be with ye in a minyute, Captain dear!" answered the Irish Liberty Boy.
"Off dere was some fighding been we was dere already pooty quick, I bet me!" laughed Carl.
"Who is in a trap now?" asked Dick, with a laugh.
Then the five Liberty Boys suddenly dashed up and leaped upon the smugglers or Tories, whichever they were. In a moment they were disarmed, Dick putting his pistol to his prisoners head and saying sternly:
"Now perhaps you will tell me what I want to know. You men are thieves, smugglers, Tories, aren't you?"
"We make