Adventure Magazine Cover — page 31: what you’re looking at

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THE PENNSYLVANIA LINE Cute— cute as could be! For he’s a smart man, is Fallen, with good schooling behind him. There was Latin and Greek in the petition. Now, what call would he be having to send Latin and Greek to Congress, if all he wants is to lead us into the British lines?” “No, sir,’ said Barstow to Wayne, “there’s no doubt about it, he’s true blue throughout. For look, if so be he’s up to Arnold’s trick, he’s going about it main clumsily, which he’s too smart a man to do; while if he’s honest, he’s showing up as cunning as a fox. So by this we may know he’s honest, I hold.” Wayne looked from Butler to Stewart, and read in their faces the bewilderment that was impressed upon his own. “Tt’s—it’s all undeniable,” he hesitated, “but— Oh, come! He can’t be loyal! Why, he’s Floyd Allen, the Tory of the Grants—”’ “Fallen!” but only three went on: ‘‘No, sir!’’ this time. For Barstow, Holtzburg, and Riddle were gaping at each other in dismay. “Mein Gott, but it must be true!” “What was it Jemmy said?” said Bar- stow excitedly. ‘‘A long, thin man, with a hawk’s beak, and the eyes of an eagle; a young man still, with a gift for speechifying that he was main fond of indulging—”’ “Which is Loyd Fallen to the life, or I’m an Indian and he’s another!” finished Riddle. “What!” Wayne’s eyes sparkled as his “dander” rose. “Was Jemmy cognizant of this masquerade—and failed to inform me of it?” “T don’t know, sir,’ said Barstow, im- mediately and particularly respectful. ‘He was just an-asking us, on New Year’s night, whether such a man had been seen ‘round camp. And we was too dumb to connect Fallen with his description of Tory Floyd at that time! Golly, but things would have gone different, if we had!” ‘“‘Jemmy must have suspected the truth,” surmised Butler soothingly, “and gone off to camp to make sure of his facts, before saying aught to you about it, General. You recollect that he left us somewhat un- ceremoniously after delivering his dis- patches.” “But why did he say nothing the next dawn?” began Wayne. “Faith, and the events of that night were P] Again it was a chorus of six, 29 enough to knock all remembrance of it out of Jemmy’s addled pate!”’ said Stewart. “Hmpt!”” But the dander was down again. ‘That is unlikely. His addled pate can hold, separate and clearly, a greater diversity of matters than most sane men’s.” “Then he had not time to tell you,” said Butler. ‘For you did cond him off somewhat hurriedly, with the dispatch to New Windsor. But what does it matter now? Jemmy’s skimble-skambling, God knows where, while Floyd Allen is here at Middlebrook, in command of the Line. What’s to be done about it?”’ Wayne looked the question at the board, who appeared in no hurry to answer it. They were watching Barstow, who was fathoms deep in thought. ‘“‘Well?”? Wayne was forced to ask, at length. ‘Now that you do know with whom you have to deal, what will you do about it? Continue him as president of your board?” He meant it in sarcasm, and lost his breath with Barstow’s answer. “Why, sir,” replied the latter very hesitantly, “that’s just what I’m a-wonder- ing if we hadn’t better do. Ye see, he’s a main fine president, even if he be a Tory.” “Yes, he’s done mighty well by us so far,” reflected Bannock. “And there be them pesky council talks with Congress just ahead of us.” “Which he’ll be able to conduct to far better purpose than any of us could,” said Dockstader. ‘For he’s got all the proper ways of doing such like, at his finger’s tips and his tongue’s end.” “Ay, ’twill be the best politics to retain him, on good behavior,”’ summed up Rid- dle. “Tell him nothing of what we know again’ him, but watch him close till we’ve made him serve our turn.” “But, my God in Heaven!: What do you think he’s contriving at—Lord, help us— what notions!’ Wayne was flabbergasted by their ingenious temerity, and paused to regard them with an exasperated admi- ration. “Oh, don’t you go a-thinking he’ll be too smart for us, sir!’ said Barstow, not boast- ingly, but as one who states a fact. “We'll be on our guard against him from now on, and with the first queer-looking move—”’ “—it’ll be a bullet in the back for Ser- geant-major Fallen,” finished Bannock with Scotch determination. comicloolk CO