Yet fear was only a small part of everything. It was anger that I felt most. Anger at the war that had caused Chad's death and my father's. Anger at the rebels and the King's men alike. And at all the needless killings.
Mr. Pennywell came out. He disagreed with his wife. "What if they have the trial and find Sarah guilty?" he asked her. "What then?"
She didn't answer.
"Best that we hide her," Mr. Pennywell said. "We have a safe place in the cellar. It's hidden many a King's man before."
"Maybe they won't come looking," his wife said.
I felt that she wished me away. I didn't blame her. "I'll be leaving," I said. This seemed to make her feel better. "I can go now."
"Nothing of the kind," Mr. Pennywell said. "They'd catch you on the road before you went a mile. If they'rehunting you, that is." He told his wife to go up and get my things and bring them down. "What do the men look like?"
"One is a tall Hessian with a blackened face," I said. "The other is short and thin."
"What's he wearing?"
It was hard for me to think. "A green coat," I said, "and white trousers and green gaiters. He has a pistol that has two shiny barrels. There were three men with him. I guess they'll all be on foot, because the cart and horse are in New York."
"Not likely," Mr. Pennywell said. "You know there's a British camp near Wallabout Bay. They'll find horses to ride. Did you tell the sergeant or anyone that you live here at the Lion and Lamb?"
"I don't remember. I must have, but I forget."
"You stay in the kitchen and I'll keep an eye out. They may not come, but if they do I'll ring the ship's bell. I'll show you where to hide."
"I should leave," I said. I wanted to. But he took my arm and led me down a staircase that went from the kitchen into a cellar stored with barrels of rum. One of the barrels was empty and had a doorlike bottom that slid aside. That is, half of it did. Below this opening was a small room lined with rock.
"There's water and food," Mr. Pennywell said. "Enough to last three people for a week. We hid Judge Stillwell down there for twenty days one time. He looked
like a potato sprout when he came up, but he was alive."
He put my clothes and the Bible in the empty barrel, the things his wife had brought, and gave me a blanket.
"In case," he said, "you have to stay all night."
They came near dusk through a light rain. We heard them ride into the courtyard, two men on dapper horses. Mr. Pennywell did not need to ring the ship's bell, because I saw them when they rode up the rise and recognized the Hessian and McCall in his green uniform and blond hair flying.
I went down the stairs, taking along a candle. I climbed into the barrel and slid back the trap door and waited there while the men entered the tavern. They made a lot of noise, stamping mud from their feet. I heard them talking to Mr. Pennywell but I couldn't hear what they were saying.
They talked a long time, perhaps half an hour; then it was very quiet. I heard steps in the taproom, which was above my head, and, a few moments later, the sound of boots striding across the kitchen floor.
I let myself through the trap door, closed it, and lit the candle. It was cold, so I put the blanket around me and waited.
Shortly a door opened and I heard steps on the cellar stairs. Sergeant McCall asked someone to bring a lantern. There was a sudden streak of light above me and the sound of quiet voices. One of the men put his boot to the
empty barrel and after a moment I heard the kitchen door open and close.
The ship's clock in the taproom struck the hour of nine. I could not tell whether the men were eating supper or not. The clock struck ten. Soon afterward Mrs. Pennywell came down to tell me that Sergeant McCall had decided to stay the night.
"Don't come out until they leave in the morning," she said.
16
T HE CANDLE BURNED itself out. I sat in the dark until the ship's clock struck midnight.
Then I slid back the trap door and gathered up my oddments Mrs.
Mr. Pennywell came out. He disagreed with his wife. "What if they have the trial and find Sarah guilty?" he asked her. "What then?"
She didn't answer.
"Best that we hide her," Mr. Pennywell said. "We have a safe place in the cellar. It's hidden many a King's man before."
"Maybe they won't come looking," his wife said.
I felt that she wished me away. I didn't blame her. "I'll be leaving," I said. This seemed to make her feel better. "I can go now."
"Nothing of the kind," Mr. Pennywell said. "They'd catch you on the road before you went a mile. If they'rehunting you, that is." He told his wife to go up and get my things and bring them down. "What do the men look like?"
"One is a tall Hessian with a blackened face," I said. "The other is short and thin."
"What's he wearing?"
It was hard for me to think. "A green coat," I said, "and white trousers and green gaiters. He has a pistol that has two shiny barrels. There were three men with him. I guess they'll all be on foot, because the cart and horse are in New York."
"Not likely," Mr. Pennywell said. "You know there's a British camp near Wallabout Bay. They'll find horses to ride. Did you tell the sergeant or anyone that you live here at the Lion and Lamb?"
"I don't remember. I must have, but I forget."
"You stay in the kitchen and I'll keep an eye out. They may not come, but if they do I'll ring the ship's bell. I'll show you where to hide."
"I should leave," I said. I wanted to. But he took my arm and led me down a staircase that went from the kitchen into a cellar stored with barrels of rum. One of the barrels was empty and had a doorlike bottom that slid aside. That is, half of it did. Below this opening was a small room lined with rock.
"There's water and food," Mr. Pennywell said. "Enough to last three people for a week. We hid Judge Stillwell down there for twenty days one time. He looked
like a potato sprout when he came up, but he was alive."
He put my clothes and the Bible in the empty barrel, the things his wife had brought, and gave me a blanket.
"In case," he said, "you have to stay all night."
They came near dusk through a light rain. We heard them ride into the courtyard, two men on dapper horses. Mr. Pennywell did not need to ring the ship's bell, because I saw them when they rode up the rise and recognized the Hessian and McCall in his green uniform and blond hair flying.
I went down the stairs, taking along a candle. I climbed into the barrel and slid back the trap door and waited there while the men entered the tavern. They made a lot of noise, stamping mud from their feet. I heard them talking to Mr. Pennywell but I couldn't hear what they were saying.
They talked a long time, perhaps half an hour; then it was very quiet. I heard steps in the taproom, which was above my head, and, a few moments later, the sound of boots striding across the kitchen floor.
I let myself through the trap door, closed it, and lit the candle. It was cold, so I put the blanket around me and waited.
Shortly a door opened and I heard steps on the cellar stairs. Sergeant McCall asked someone to bring a lantern. There was a sudden streak of light above me and the sound of quiet voices. One of the men put his boot to the
empty barrel and after a moment I heard the kitchen door open and close.
The ship's clock in the taproom struck the hour of nine. I could not tell whether the men were eating supper or not. The clock struck ten. Soon afterward Mrs. Pennywell came down to tell me that Sergeant McCall had decided to stay the night.
"Don't come out until they leave in the morning," she said.
16
T HE CANDLE BURNED itself out. I sat in the dark until the ship's clock struck midnight.
Then I slid back the trap door and gathered up my oddments Mrs.
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