Adventure Magazine Cover — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE PENNSYLVANIA LINE But now I’m wanting speech with An- thony.”’ “He rode off two days ago,” answered Allen, without interest. ‘I couldn’t say where, for, etc., after having hung around camp for two days previous, stealing clandestine talks with my staff—’’ “Tst, tst, tst, tst!’ waggled Jemmy. “My staff!’ Hark to that,now! And what was it he found to say to ’em?”’ “He came to tell them the Connecticuts were being sent to coerce us. But that is four days since, and there’s been nary a sign of the New Englanders, nor coercion, nor anything else! The rest of the world may be in Tophet, for all I can say to the contrary. I received no answer to the first petition I forwarded to Congress, so I put another on its trail and have heard no more from that.’’ Allen was nervously stripping a quill as he talked, his fingers twitching with the strain of inaction. ‘The enemy lies as quiet as the snow, although there is a report that Clinton moves more troops every day to Staten Island. I counted on being allowed to rest here undisturbed for two days; when I failed to hear from Congress, and the men seemed still reluctant to move, I thought the risk good for three; but I never hoped for a grace of four! By Jupiter, I believe we could stay here for the rest of the winter! ’Tis like a dream, somehow— as if all the world had gone to sleep, and we were the dream they were having.” “Faith, then you’re a nightmare to some of ’em!”’ commented Jemmy. ‘Will you be moving out of this tomorrow?” ‘‘Why,” answered Allen thoughtfully, ‘as long as the men are eager to remain, and if the enemy continues to keep quiet, I’m for staying on here. This is a good position for our particular purposes. We can threaten Congress and Clinton equally well from Princeton. But some on my staff will give me no rest till we are across the Deleware, for no good reason that I can see. They were for doing so almost as soon as we got to Middlebrook, although then the command were so weary that they could not have marched another mile to save them from the Mohawks. There are some very obstinate and pertinacious men on my staff, Jemmy. Men there is no arguing with! [’m notin command here as I thought to be. There is some influence in camp that works against me, yet, for my life, I can not put my finger on it for a surety!” 9) 33 “And Anthony hovering on the out- skirts? Murder, what innocence!” Jem- my was all admiration at its density. ‘“‘He’s been gone these two days past,” objected Allen. ‘Although his aids are still at the manse, teaching the minister’s daugh- ters wicked, worldly songs. But they know no more of his whereabouts than I do. Or say so, at any rate.” “T can’t stay longer listening to the like of that!’ decided Jemmy, suddenly. “I’m thin-drawn for the want of food, drink, and *baccy. Have ye a bit of the last?” ‘“‘“_____ q bit,” answered Allen, and then he added in a tone of pure curiosity. ‘Where the —— have you been keeping yourself, Jemmy? I haven’t seen ye for a coon’s age.”’ “Tut!” reproved Jemmy, with his hand on the latch. “Only the frogs that croak to the moon in May shall be told where I’ve been a-traveling. But it wasn’t aboard the frigate that’s carrying Arnold to the Chesa- peake, nor yet a-stealing figs from the mock- ing-birds, where the south wind swings in the hanging moss—’’ Allen threw himself back in his chair with a sigh of resignation. Jemmy threw up his chin, with a double dose of malice agleam in his eye, and continued in his most irritating- ly indirect fashion. ‘““_nor yet out of the sunset, where the winter howls and tears at the flimsy doors of the lodges, in its haste to be at the warm meat within.”’ “Which means, I presume,”’ interrupted Allen, ‘‘that you’ve been north.” He looked up wistfully, anxiously, inquiringly. ‘‘D’ye bring me no news from home, Jemmy?”’ “T met a man,” said Jemmy, “a little man, with lynx eyes that ye could not see behind, under a tall, white hill. We stood on our shadows a fortnight back, and he asking me to be putting ¢/zs into the hands of a way- ward lad, kin to himself, and with a name of ill omen, if so be that I should meet with the same.” He balanced the fat, nearly square letter on the ball of one forefinger, and Allen’s chair slammed on its back as the sergeant- major rose from it. “Give it here, Jemmy!” He laughed ner- vously in his eagerness. ‘Tis the first word I’ve had from home in seven months!” Jemmy paid less than no heed to this. He stood absorbed in a thought of his own, which presently he voiced. comicloolk CO