“Be careful of your oars,” Arnold warned. “You’ll have to have ’em out, so to hold off in case you run up too close on the vessel in front of you; but don’t use ’em till you must. And whatever you do, plug shirts and breeches around the oars, so they won’t rattle if you need to use ’em.”

General Waterbury coughed dryly. “If they discover us—–”

“General,” Arnold said, “I know the British pretty well. They don’t think much of us. They’re tired tonight—tired and battered; and when Englishmen are tired and battered, they like to have a cup of tea or a quart of rum and go to sleep. Since they don’t think much of us, that’s just what they’re going to do, General. They’re going to sleep. I think we’ll go through them without the least trouble: without any trouble at all.” He stared around at us: then he, too, coughed. “If they should discover us, I know you’ll make it as expensive a discovery as possible.”

He moved close to the lantern to read from the paper in his hand. “Here’s your sailing order. It’s the same order in which you now lie, barring the Trumbull, the Washington and this vessel. Colonel-Wigglesworth in the Trumbull will pass across your front at seven o’clock. When he reaches the west shore, he’ll turn due south, and the rest of you will follow. You’re to keep as close to shore as possible. There’s six fathoms of water ten yards off shore. I sounded it myself. With this northeast breeze there’ll be waves on the rocks, and you can gauge your distance from them.” He read the order in which the gundelos and the schooners were to follow: then read it again, more slowly. “All clear?” he asked.

The captains muttered that everything was clear.

“The Washington and the Congress will bring up your rear,” Arnold said. “You can depend on General Waterbury and me to do all we can for you in case—in case—–” He changed the subject abruptly. “If there’s any uncertainty, or any doubt about anything, this is the time to speak.”

The cabin was silent, save for a faint creaking from the rudder case and the thump of the pumps.

Waterbury, favoring his lame back, moved stoopingly toward the companion. Arnold jumped to assist him, as spry as though weariness and he were strangers.

He laughed and winked at us, as he helped along his crippled second in command. “A pleasant trip, gentlemen! I trust we’ll meet soon at Crown Point.”

XXXIX