Part 26 (1/2)

”It wasn't because they didn't try hard enough,” laughed George. ”My grandfather used to tell me that when the soldiers at Morristown heard the 'old sow,' which was the name of one of the guns, they understood right away that there was danger of an attack. Everything in the old house was shut up except the windows, and then five of the continentals took their stand at every window and were ready to fire upon any one that came near the place.”

”I would like to have seen Was.h.i.+ngton,” said John thoughtfully.

”They say,” said George, ”that he was about as tall as you are, String, but he had some breadth and thickness as well as length. He weighed about two hundred pounds. All the time he was at Morristown he was very quiet. I fancy he was worried all the while. That didn't prevent him from being very strict with his soldiers, however. He issued an order that there should be no gambling or swearing, that n.o.body should be permitted to do any stunts on Sunday, and the men who disobeyed didn't forget the lesson taught them.”

”Why, what did Was.h.i.+ngton do?” inquired Fred.

”He had guilty soldiers whipped in the presence of their companies. A man would be tied up to a tree and then the drummers or fifers would have to lash him. Sometimes they got forty blows, sometimes more. One time a soldier who had disobeyed orders about poaching and had stolen a pig from a poor farmer was reported to the commander. Was.h.i.+ngton had him whipped with more than a double dose. They say that the men did not make any complaint though, and even when they were going through the performance every man used to take a lead cartridge between his teeth and bite hard on it whenever he was struck a blow.”

”I guess that's one reason why Was.h.i.+ngton was so popular,” suggested John thoughtfully.

”It's an easy way to become popular,” laughed Fred.

”Never you mind,” retorted George. ”You know just as well as I do that no fellow likes a teacher that is not strict. My father says that the man or boy who tries to be popular never is.”

”And your father is dead right too,” said Grant quickly, turning to his friend.

”Yes, sir, he's all right,” responded John.

CHAPTER XXI-AN EXPLANATION IN PART

It was the middle of the afternoon when the Go Ahead boys returned to George's home. Apparently they had not been cast down by their failure to obtain information concerning the missing car. Indeed, as one of the boys laughingly remarked, George was the only one deeply and personally concerned in the loss and if he did not feel discouraged there certainly was no reason why his friends should be despondent.

On the broad piazza of the old farmhouse the boys sat for a half-hour talking over the experiences of the day. Different suggestions were made as to possible plans that might be adopted in the search for the stolen automobile.

”I'm not thinking so much about the car as I am about what we saw to-day at Morristown,” said Grant thoughtfully. ”I feel almost as if I had stepped right back into the eighteenth century.”

”My friend,” said Fred soberly, ”that is where you belong. I have often been puzzled to know how to account for some of the strange traits of your peculiar personality. You have hit the nail now squarely on the head. You have been born one hundred and forty years too late. You are a rare old antique.”

The boys laughed as Grant arose from his seat and lifting his diminutive friend bodily from the chair in which he was seated, he dropped him over the rail.

”When you grow up,” he called, ”and learn to behave you may come back here.”

”I'm not coming back,” called Fred glibly.

”We'll try to live through our disappointment,” said Grant.

”You'll be disappointed all right the next time you see me,” called Fred. Then turning to John he eagerly beckoned to him to follow him.

With a groan John slowly arose from the chair in which he was seated and followed Fred as he led the way around the corner of the house.

”What I want of you,” said Fred when he and his companion could not be seen by the other boys, ”is to go with me over to the Meeker House. I think I have found something.”

”Is it the same thing you found last night?” inquired John.

”Not at all. I don't mind telling you that I have fixed a trap over there.”

”What do you mean, a steel trap?”