low drinking house where several coarse fellows
were carousing. The fire swept on, destroying
more than five hundred houses, one fifth of all
the buildings then in the city, and was stopped
only near Barclay Street by a sudden sharp
change in the wind, which blew the fire southward
toward the already burning district.

Report says that the provost marshal was given
authority by Howe to dispose summarily, without
the delay of a trial, of any Americans found rushing
about the burning buildings, assuming, of course,
that they were intent on the destruction of more
buildings, rather than on the natural desire of
saving what they could of their own property;
and that as a result of this authority, more than
one hapless householder was thrown into his own
burning home.

Up to this point, the early or late evening of the
21st, there is more or less of unsolvable mystery in
regard to Nathan Hale's movements; but from
the memoirs of Captain William Hull, Nathan
Hale's college friend and companion in arms, we
have what appears to be unimpeachable evidence
as to Hale's arrest and being brought to General
Howe's headquarters. We quote from Captain
Hull the information he received from an English
officer through a flag of truce:

[[84]]

p083 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p084w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p085

v?