The Secret Letters of 75

  Jamie opened it and read it quickly.

  “It’s from Mr. Roberts!” he exclaimed, and read on. “He says Mrs. Gates told him that your father is a prisoner on board the H.M.S. Preston. The prisoners are being transferred to a transport ship in two days. He hopes to get your father off the transport ship, just before it sails. He wants us to meet him tomorrow at nine o’clock in the evening at the Green Dragon.”

  Sarah cried, “That’s great news!”

  “Well,” Revere forced a smile and clapped Jamie on the shoulder, “Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

  They led the way out of the village and down the familiar road past lush green fields and stone houses. As the large stone manor came into view, Jamie pointed to it, saying, “This is the house where she lives with Dr. Church.”

  Baylor touched his hat and nodded, “Thank you. I’m taking her back to General Washington for questioning. Also, we will need you both to tell us more about what you know.”

  “Yes, of course we would be happy to,” Jamie nodded.

  “Good. I’ll come back when you’re needed.”

  Colonel Baylor galloped up the lane to the house and Jamie and Sarah followed him.

  He knocked persistently until the door opened. After introducing himself, Colonel Baylor told the red-headed woman that she had to come with him to speak to General Washington. She appeared to be alone in the house.

  She peered around him and when she saw Jamie and Sarah, her expression flared in anger.

  Colonel Baylor led her to his horse and climbed up behind her despite her protests of innocence. The woman gave Sarah and Jamie a vicious look as they turned away and galloped down the lane.

  As soon as they were out of sight, Jamie said, “The house is still open. We may find some more letters inside.”

  “Good idea!” Sarah replied.

  The kitchen appeared as if the woman had been cooking, with pots and bowls on the table. A fire smoldered in the hearth.

  They walked from the back of the house to the front, and off the main hallway, they found a small library. Tall bookcases filled each wall, and a large desk faced a window overlooking the side garden. A stone fireplace was angled into one corner.

  Sarah began rummaging through the papers on the desk top while Jamie went through the drawers. They found papers dealing with the Committee of Safety and ordinary household accounts, but nothing in secret writing.

  “Let’s check the book shelves,” said Jamie.

  They began searching between the books for any hidden letters. After going through all of the shelves, they both sighed in silent defeat. Sarah stood staring at the books, and noticed that the corner of a page was sticking up out of one book. Curious, she pulled it off the shelf and opened it.

  “Jamie, look!” she cried, taking out a letter tucked between the pages.

  He hurried to her side and read the letter over her shoulder. Sarah cried,

  “Listen to this! He says, ‘Three prior attempts were made without success. On the last attempt, I sent a man with my letter was sewn into the waistband of his breeches. He was held prisoner a few days, but with a little cash to the guard, he was set free and the matter was settled.’ It’s addressed to someone named Fleming.”

  Jamie looked up, asking, “Are there any more?”

  Sarah looked through the pages of the book and found two more tucked in between the pages. She took them out and opened them up to find that they too seemed like ordinary letters.

  “Nothing in code.”

  “But now we know where he hides his secrets. Let’s look through the rest of the books!”

  They set the letters on the desk and began leafing through every book on the shelf next to the one they had opened.

  “Here’s one!” Sarah shouted, “And look! It’s in code!”

  “Great! We’ll take it to General Washington.”

  She set the letter on the desk and went back to the search.

  “Here’s another!” Jamie said, “But it’s not in code.”

  “Save it anyway,” Sarah suggested, “Just in case.”

  Both of them became so engrossed in searching through the books that they did not hear footsteps approaching the library.

  “Put those books down!” a voice cried.

  Sarah gasped and dropped her book. She looked up to find the red-headed young man aiming a pistol at them.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 28: Meeting with General Washington

  Jamie set the book down carefully on a nearby table. Sneering, the red-headed teen scowled.

  “You! You’re supposed to be in jail!”

  “No thanks to you!” Jamie replied.

  The red-headed boy moved closer, keeping his aim steady. He reached out for the letters and grabbed them.

  “You two get back into the kitchen. Come on!”

  He waved the pistol at them. Sarah looked at Jamie and he motioned for her to do as he said.

  They walked back into the kitchen and the teen threw the letters on the smoldering fire. The paper began to smoke, and as the youth was watching them catch fire, Jamie drew his knife and threw it at the boy’s hand. The knife stabbed the boy’s wrist and he dropped the gun, cursing in pain. He grabbed his bleeding wrist and Jamie charged at him, slamming his shoulder into the boy’s middle. They both crashed to the ground, rolling towards the smoking hearth.

  Sarah ran to the hearth and she tried to grab the burning papers. She could only grasp one that was still burning as she pulled it from the flames. She dropped it on the floor and stamped on it to quench the flames.

  Meanwhile, Jamie and the teen wrestled on the floor as the red-headed youth tried to pin Jamie down. They rolled back and forth nearly into the fire, then away again, with legs kicking and punches flying. Sarah grabbed an iron pan from the table and swung it at the boy. But at that moment, Jamie’s head suddenly came up. The pot slammed into Jamie’s head and he dropped to the floor.

  Sarah grabbed an iron pan from the table and swung it at the boy.

  The youth pushed him off and scrambled to his feet.

  Sarah snatched the pistol from the floor and pointed it at the boy. His eyes sprung wide as she pulled back the hammer and aimed.

  “Don’t shoot!” he shouted, and quickly raced out of the back door.

  She watched from the door as he leaped onto his horse and galloped away.

  Sarah rushed to Jamie, still unconscious on the floor. A large red lump was growing on his temple.

  She gasped, “Oh, no!”

  She splashed a pitcher of cold water in his face. He sat up suddenly, sputtering and coughing.

  “Jamie! Are you all right?”

  Seeing flashing lights, he squeezed his eyes shut. He grabbed his head to prevent it from exploding.

  “Let me help you into the chair,” she said, grabbing his arm. He struggled to his feet and slumped down on the chair.

  “What happened? Where did he go?” asked Jamie, looking dazed.

  “I took his pistol and he ran away.”

  Jamie saw the pistol on the table and the pan on the floor. Suddenly his head snapped up and he stared at her in disbelief.

  “You? You hit me with that?” he cried.

  “It was an accident! I was going to hit him, but your big head got in the way!”

  “My big head!” he shouted, but the noise made his head feel as if it were being split with an iron spike.

  “I’m sorry, Jamie! Really! It was an accident!”

  He sighed and rubbed his temple, scowling.

  “Never mind! What about the letters?”

  “I managed to get one out of the fire, but the rest are gone…completely burned.”

  He looked at the fire and could see only blackened ashes.

  “Maybe there are more. We should look.”

  “I’ll look. You stay here,” she advised, but he shook his head and struggled to his feet. As he stood up, the room began
to spin and he nearly fell again.

  “Sit down!” she insisted, “You’re in no shape to go anywhere! I can do it.”

  Jamie remembered the argument they had in Newport and smiled.

  “Don’t be long,” he said, “He may come back with Dr. Church.”

  “I’ll hurry,” she promised, and went back into the library.

  While she was in the library, Jamie picked up the letter and read it. It seemed to be an ordinary letter written to Major Cane, General Gage’s aide.

  When Sarah returned empty-handed, he said, “This is strange. All it talks about are ordinary things, like his roses, but it’s addressed to Major Cane.”

  She looked at the letter, saying, “You’re right. It does sound rather odd. And look at the writing. It’s all…uneven. It’s not like the other letters. There’s definitely something strange about this letter,” she concluded. “Why would Dr. Church tell Major Cane about the weather in Cambridge and Watertown? And why tell him about his roses?”

  “Maybe it’s some sort of code,” Jamie suggested.

  “Yes, that’s what I think. But I can’t figure out how it’s done.”

  He smiled at her, “Oh, you will….eventually.”

  General Washington spent an hour questioning the red-headed woman about the letter she had delivered to Mr. Wainwood. She told him she had no idea what was in it and was just delivering it as a favor to a friend. At first, she wouldn’t tell the General her friend’s name. But when he told her that she would be guilty of treason against the colonies, she finally gave in.

  “It was for Dr. Church,” she said at last, hanging her head.

  “Dr. Benjamin Church? Of Boston? The President of the Committee of Safety?” he cried in disbelief.

  “Yes. It’s from him.”

  Washington paced back and forth in his office, and then called in Colonel Baylor, handing him the coded letter.

  “Have a copy made of this…no, make that two copies. Exact copies. Then find some men who can decode it. Bring me the translation as soon as it’s finished. And bring those two young people here who found the letter.”

  “Yes, sir,” Baylor nodded.

  “And find Dr. Church. Tell him that I have some urgent business to discuss with him.”

  “Yes, sir!” the colonel saluted and left.

  Sarah and Jamie were summoned to the General’s office that same afternoon. General Washington held out his hand and shook theirs, smiling. He was a very tall, broad-shouldered man with a strong face, and blue eyes with a determined look

  “It is a pleasure to meet you. I am most grateful for your actions in obtaining this letter. Please sit down, and tell me how this whole thing started.”

  As Sarah began to tell the General how they had become suspicious of Dr. Church, Colonel Baylor brought each a glass of cold water on a tray. They told how Dr. Church had betrayed their cause, and how they had stolen the first letter from the red-headed woman.

  “Where is that letter now?” asked Washington.

  “Here, sir,” Sarah replied, reaching into her pocket, “And I have another that I saved from the fire as the woman’s son was trying to burn it.”

  She handed him both letters and told him about finding other letters like the coded one in Dr. Church’s library, but they had been burned.

  “Where is the red-headed boy now?” he asked.

  “We don’t know. He left in a hurry.”

  “I shall have Colonel Baylor send out a party to look for him. Now about the other letter you found. Is it in code?”

  “No, sir,” replied Sarah, “It’s in common English, but when you read it, it sounds very odd. I believe that it could be in some sort of code, only I haven’t figured it out yet.”

  Jamie said, “She’s already figured out most of the coded letter.”

  Washington leaned forward in surprise, “What?”

  She dug into her purse and handed him a paper.

  “I don’t know if it’s exactly right or not, and there are some words that I can’t make out. But here’s what I’ve done so far.”

  Washington took the letter and read through it. As he did, his expression brightened and he cried, “This is truly impressive! It tells about the troops and equipment that we have, our plan for commissioning privateers, and our plans to take possession of Canada! How did you ever manage to figure it out?”

  Sarah explained in detail the process she had gone through to figure out the meaning of the coded letter. When she finished, Washington shook his head in disbelief.

  “This is truly incredible! I must show this to the men I have working on the translation.”

  Washington continued to listen to how they had gone to Newport and warned Mr. Wainwood about sending the letter. When they finished, Washington gave a heavy sigh, declaring, “A remarkable story! Truly remarkable!”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Washington said, “You may go now, but be very careful. I advise you to speak to no one about this until we have Dr. Church in custody. I shall see you here at three o’clock tomorrow.”

  “Yes, sir. We’ll be here.”

  As they stood up to leave, Sarah bumped the desk and a glass tipped over, spilling water over the letters.

  “Oh, no! I’m so sorry, sir!” she cried, grabbing the glass and searching for something to mop the desk with. Washington took out his handkerchief and blotted the water and the papers. He set the letters aside to dry. Jamie was somewhat embarrassed by her clumsiness, but said nothing. Sarah apologized again, and looked at the letter from Dr. Church’s library to see if it had suffered any serious damage.

  Suddenly, she realized how the secret code was done!

  “That’s it!” she cried, nearly jumping with excitement, “The letter! I know what it says!”

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 29: Secrets Decoded

  “What?” they both exclaimed, looking at her as if she were insane.

  “Look!” she shouted, waving the letter in her hand, “This letter is really two letters written to appear as one! See how the water washed away some of the words, but not all of them? The words that are left leave another message!”

  They studied the letter and saw the sentence where her finger was pointing. The letter had read, “Make sure you take care of the roses on the grave on Charlestown Road, because I will be returning from Lexington. I fear the weather may be too chilly or the road to Boston may be too bumpy, and may lead to a damaged bush of my Red Stroops.”

  But where the ink had been washed away by the water, the only words that were left read, “Make sure you take… the Charlestown Road…. returning from Lexington. I fear… the road to Boston may… lead to am – bush of troops.”

  “By God, you’re right!” Washington exclaimed, “Some of the ink washes away and the rest remains, leaving a secret message!”

  “He’s using two different kinds of ink,” Jamie concluded, “One must be a water-based ink and the other an oil-based ink.”

  “And Dr. Church’s signature appears on this one!” Sarah declared, “I wonder why it was never sent to General Gage.”

  “Perhaps he couldn’t get the message delivered in time,” Jamie suggested.

  “Perhaps. If he values his life, he will tell us everything. This is the piece of evidence we need to prove that he has been committing treachery! And now we have the other letter decoded, thanks to you, Sarah.”

  Jamie and Sarah grinned with excitement as they shook the General’s hand.

  That same morning, a light fog had blanketed the river. Mr. Roberts found old Sam, a boatman, waiting for him in a small rowboat in the harbor. Mr. Roberts wore a British officer’s uniform he’d gotten from one of the colonists who had to board British soldiers in his home.

  Old Sam rowed him through the chilly mist to the prisoner transport ship, H.M.S. Raven. The ship’s crew was preparing to sail south to St. Augustine, where the prisoners would be incarcerated. Officers barked out order
s while the crew ran back and forth hoisting up sails.

  “Wait here for me. I’ll return shortly,” he told Sam.

  Everyone was too busy to ask his business, and he found the hold where the prisoners were kept in the lowest deck of the ship. A one-toothed guard with gray, stubbly cheeks eyed the approaching officer curiously.

  Mr. Roberts said, “I’ve come for one of your prisoners. He’s wanted for questioning by General Gage.”

  The guard looked at him suspiciously.

  “We’re fixin’ to sail now, sir.”

  “I know. That’s why the general wants to question him now, before you go.”

  “Does the Captain know?”

  “Yes. I have the orders here in my pocket if you need to see them.”

  He reached into his red uniform jacket and withdrew a folder paper; a letter he forged from General Gage which might fool a guard, but not a captain. The guard waved it away.

  “Oh, that’s aw’ right. I don’t read. ‘Oo do you want, sir?”

  “Jonathan Harper. He was one of the Sons of Liberty.”

  “Oh, I see. What’s your name, sir?”

  “Lieutenant Smith, of the Falcon,” Mr. Roberts replied.

  The guard cocked one eye with excited anticipation.

  “Are you gonna torture ‘im, sir?”

  Mr. Roberts frowned. “Corporal! You know that the Royal Navy does not torture prisoners.”

  “Awww,” he groaned in disappointment.

  “However,” Mr. Roberts continued, “We may try to persuade him to talk. We do have some very convincing ways.”

  The guard’s face grew a toothless grin as he chuckled, “Aye, I’ll bet you do! Aw’ right!”

  He opened the bars and shouted, “Jonathan ‘arper! Come fo’ward!”

  Mr. Roberts looked around to see if anyone was watching them. The men behind the bars were crowded together in a dark, damp room with no light or fresh air, stinking of unwashed bodies and urine.

  A bedraggled figure appeared at the door.

  “You Jonathan ‘arper?” asked the guard.

  “Yes,” he replied, squinting in the light.

  “Go with the lieutenant ‘ere and don’t give ‘im no trouble,” the guard warned.

  Mr. Roberts looked at Jonathan. His clothes were dirty, his face was unshaven, and a dingy bandage was wound around his head. There were manacles on his wrists.