The Liberty Boys Running the Blockade | Page 7

into the saddle and resumed their

interrupted ride, going with the girls to the house in Maiden Lane. The
friends of Alice and Edith were very charming girls, and the boys spent
an hour or two very pleasantly, telling the story of their adventures in
the afternoon and evening, and talking of the situation in in the city.
The boys at length left the house to return to the camp, Alice and Edith
expressing considerable anxiety, however, lest they be way-laid by the
men who had already made an unsuccessful attempt to keep them
prisoners.
In a short time they were back in camp, the occasional tramp of a sentry
or the sudden flaring up of a fire from a puff of night air being the only
things to show that there was any one there. The Liberty Boys were
always vigilant, for one never knew when an enemy might be about,
and Dick had taught them to be on the lookout at all times, whether
they expected a foe or not. After breakfast Dick took a party of about a
dozen of the boys in addition to Bob, and set out for the stone house on
the river. Reaching the lane, the boys dismounted, the descent being
rather too steep for the horses, and Dick, Bob and seven or eight others
went down. The door toward the road was closed and there was no sign
of life about the place. Dick and Bob went down to the shore where
there was a little wharf, and here they found a door on the lower story,
this being closed, however, as were the windows, and no one stirring
either in or about the house.
"The place looks like an ordinary storehouse," remarked Dick, "and I
suppose that the people about here think it is such. I shall have to get
permission from the general to examine it, for it is a nest of thieves
whatever else it may be."
"That is plain enough!" muttered Bob.
Taking Bob, and leaving the boys to watch the place, Dick set out for
Putnam's headquarters to report concerning the place and ask what
should be done. Some of the boys remained on the bank above, and
some on the wharf and near the lower door. They found a passage
under the wharf, and then another dug through the earth, and leading to
a door evidently in the stone house under the bank and back of the
wharf.

"These fellows are regular smugglers as well as thieves!" exclaimed
Harry. "This is an important discovery. They use this place to take in
stolen goods when they are afraid to take them in any other, I guess."
"See if the door is locked," suggested Sam.
Then he and Harry tried it, and found that it was not fastened, but
opened readily when they lifted the latch.
"Hallo! Who is there?" cried a gruff voice, as they advanced.
"Here's one of the rascals! Catch him!" cried Harry.
CHAPTER V.
--An Important Capture.
Dick and Bob set out upon their horses for the general's quarters, and
upon reaching Broadway met the girls coming along on horseback.
"I am afraid we cannot give you much attention now, girls," said Dick.
"We are going to the general's quarters, and then to rout out the thieves,
who make a rendezvous of the stone house and I think we shall be very
busy for sometime."
"You might go up to the camp and cheer Patsy's heart by a visit,"
laughed Bob. "He is fond of the girls."
"You want us to get the poor boy in trouble, I see," said Alice. "You
would get so jealous that Patsy would have no peace."
"You know what Carl says when he disagrees with any one, don't you,
Sis?" asked Bob, with a sly wink.
"Come, my dear," replied Alice. "I think we shall be able to do without
their company for a time. We ought to be resourceful enough for that."
"But, Alice, brother and Bob have business to attend to, and---"

"And you are a dear little matter of face goose and can't see a joke,"
laughed Alice. "You would spoil both those boys, but it needs me to
put them in the right place."
Then the girls rode away toward the camp, while the boys went on to
the general's. The veteran listened to Dick, and said:
"By all means break into the place and make a thorough investigation,
Captain. If there is any complaint, say that I gave you full authority to
act. There is something very about the whole affair, and I do not
believe that the place is used for honest purposes."
"Nor we, General, but we wanted your authority before we proceeded
to vigorous measures."
"Well, you have it now, Captain," said the