CHAPTER XXIX
LOVE AND TREASON
When Jack and Solomon returned to headquarters, Arnold and his wifewere settled in a comfortable house overlooking the river. ColonelIrons made his report. The Commander-in-Chief complimented him andinvited the young man to make a tour of the camp in his company. Theymounted their horses and rode away together.
"I learn that General Arnold is to be in command here," Jack remarkedsoon after the ride began.
"I have not yet announced my intention," said Washington. "Who toldyou?"
"A man of the name of Henry Thornhill."
"I do not know him but he is curiously well informed. Arnold is anable officer. We have not many like him. He is needed here for I haveto go on a long trip to eastern Connecticut to confer with Rochambeau.In the event of some unforeseen crisis Arnold would know what to do."
Then Jack spoke out: "General, I ought to have reported to you theexact words of Governor Reed. They were severe, perhaps, even, unjust.I have not repeated them to any one. But now I think you should knowtheir full content and Judge of them in your own way. The Governorinsists that Arnold is bad at heart--that he would sell his master forthirty pieces of silver."
Washington made no reply, for a moment, and then his words seemed tohave no necessary relation to those of Jack Irons.
"General Arnold has been badly cut up in many battles," said he. "Iwish him to be relieved of all trying details. You are an able andprudent man. I shall make you his chief aide with the rank ofBrigadier-General. He needs rest and will concern himself little withthe daily routine. In my absence, you will be the superintendent ofthe camp, and subject to orders I shall leave with you. Colonel Binkuswill be your helper. I hope that you may be able to keep yourself onfriendly terms with the General."
Jack reported to the Commander-in-Chief the warning of Thornhill, butthe former made light of it.
"The air is full of evil gossip," he said. "You may hear it of me."
When they rode up to headquarters Arnold was there. To Jack's surprisethe Major-General greeted him with friendly words, saying:
"I hope to know you better for I have heard much of your courage andfighting quality."
"There are good soldiers here," said Jack. "If I am one of them it ispartly because I have seen you fight. You have given all of us theinspiration of a great example."
It was a sincere and deserved tribute.
On the third of August--the precise date named by HenryThornhill--Arnold took command of the camp and Irons assumed his newduties. The Major-General rode with Washington every day until, on thefourteenth of September, the latter set out with three aides andColonel Binkus on his trip to Connecticut. Solomon rode with the partyfor two days and then returned. Thereafter Arnold left the work of hisoffice to Jack and gave his time to the enjoyment of the company of hiswife and a leisure that suffered little interruption. For him, grimvisaged war had smoothed his wrinkled front. Like Richard he had hungup his bruised arms. The day of Washington's departure, Mrs. Arnoldinvited Jack to dinner. The young man felt bound to accept thisopportunity for more friendly relations.
Mrs. Arnold was a handsome, vivacious, blonde young woman of thirty.The officer speaks in a letter of her lively talk and winning smilesand splendid figure, well fitted with a costume that reminded him ofthe court ladies in France.
"What a contrast to the worn, patched uniforms to be seen in thatcamp!" he added.
Soon after the dinner began, Mrs. Arnold said to the young man, "Wehave heard of your romance. Colonel and Mrs. Hare and their youngdaughter spent a week in our home in Philadelphia on their first tripto the colonies. Later Mrs. Hare wrote to my mother of their terribleadventure in the great north bush and spoke of Margaret's attachmentfor the handsome boy who had helped to rescue them, so I have someright to my interest in you."
"And therefor I thank you and congratulate myself," said the young man."It is a little world after all."
"And your story has been big enough to fill it," she went on. "Theladies in Philadelphia seem to know all its details. We knew only howit began. They have told us of the thrilling duel and how the younglovers were separated by the war and how you were sent out of England."
"You astonish me," said the officer. "I did not imagine that my humbleaffairs would interest any one but myself and my family. I supposethat Doctor Franklin must have been talking about them. The dear oldsoul is the only outsider who knows the facts."
"And if he had kept them to himself he would have been the most inhumanwretch in the world," said Mrs. Arnold. "Women have their rights.They need something better to talk about than Acts of Parliament andtaxes and war campaigns. I thank God that no man can keep such a storyto himself. He has to have some one to help him enjoy it. A goodlove-story is like murder. It will out."
"It has caused me a lot of misery and a lot of happiness," said theyoung man.
"I long to see the end of it," the woman went on. "I happen to know adetail in your story which may be new to you. Miss Hare is now in NewYork."
"In New York!"
"Oddso! In New York! We heard in Philadelphia that she and her motherhad sailed with Sir Roger Waite in March. How jolly it would be if theGeneral and I could bring you together and have a wedding atheadquarters!"
"I could think of no greater happiness save that of seeing the end ofthe war," Jack answered.
"The war! That is a little matter. I want to see a proper end to thislove-story."
She laughed and ran to the spinnet and sang _Shepherds, I Have Lost MyLove_.
The General would seem to have been in bad spirits. He had spoken nothalf a dozen words. To him the talk of the others had been as spilledwater. Jack has described him as a man of "unstable temperament."
The young man's visit was interrupted by Solomon who came to tell himthat he was needed in the matter of a quarrel between some of the newrecruits.
Jack and Solomon exercised unusual care in guarding the camp andorganizing for defense in case of attack. It was soon afterWashington's departure that Arnold went away on the road to the south.Solomon followed keeping out of his field of vision. The Generalreturned two days later. Solomon came into Jack's hut about midnightof the day of Arnold's return with important news.
Jack was at his desk studying a map of the Highlands. The camp was atrest. The candle in Jack's hut was the only sign of life aroundheadquarters when Solomon, having put out his horse, came to talk withhis young friend. He stepped close to the desk, swallowed nervouslyand began his whispered report.
"Suthin' neevarious be goin' on," he began. "A British ship were lyin'nigh the mouth o' the Croton River. Arnold went aboard. An' officergot into his boat with him an' they pulled over to the west shore andwent into the bush. Stayed thar till mos' night. If 'twere honestbusiness, why did they go off in the bush alone fer a talk?"
Jack shook his head.
"Soon as I seen that I went to one o' our batteries an' tol' the Cap'nwhat were on my mind.
"'Damn the ol' British tub. We'll make 'er back up a little,' sez he.'She's too clus anyhow.'
"Then he let go a shot that ripped the water front o' her bow. Say,Jack, they were some hoppin' eround on the deck o' the big British warsloop. They h'isted her sails an' she fell away down the river a mile'er so. The sun were set when Arnold an' the officer come out o' thebush. I were in a boat with a fish rod an' could jes' see 'em with myspy-glass, the light were so dim. They stood thar lookin' fer theship. They couldn't see her. They went back into the bush. It cometo me what they was goin' to do. Arnold were a-goin' to take theBritisher over to the house o' that ol' Tory, Reub Smith. I got tharfust an' hid in the bushes front o' the house. Sure 'nough!--that'swhat were done. Arnold an' t' other feller come erlong an' went intothe house. 'Twere so dark I couldn't see 'em but I knowed 'twere them."
"How?" the young man asked.
"'Cause they didn't light no candle. They sot in the dark an' theydidn't t
alk out loud like honest men would. I come erway. I couldn'tdo no more."
"I think you've done well," said Jack. "Now go and get some rest.To-morrow may be a hard day."