Darkness had now
fallen, and he trusted it to hide him from the vigilance of the
British vessels whose lights shone dim and uncertain down the river.
Much larger craft landed much larger crews within our lines, on no
darker nights--as, for one case, when the Whigs came down in
whaleboats and set fire to the country mansion of our General De
Lancey at Bloomingdale. Philip made the passage unseen, and drew the
canoe up to a safe place under some bushes growing from the face of a
low bluff that rose from the slight beach. His heart galloped and
glowed at sense of being on the same island with his wife. He was
thrilled to think that, if all went well, within an hour or two he
should hold her in his arms.
He saw to the priming of his pistols, and loosened the sword that hung
beneath his overcoat; and then he glided some way down the strip of
beach. Coming to a convenient place, he clambered up the bluff, to a
cleared space backed by woods.
"Who goes there?"
'Twas the voice of a man who had suddenly halted in the clearing,
half-way between the woods and the crest of the bluff. The snow on the
ground enabled the two to descry each other. Winwood saw the man raise
a musket to his shoulder.
"A word with you, friend," said Philip, and strode swiftly forward ere
the sentinel (who was a loyalist volunteer, not a British regular) had
the wit to fire. Catching the musket-barrel with one hand, Winwood
clapped his pistol to the soldier's breast with the other.
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