He couldn’t come all this way and be left behind!
He jumped into the river.
Water ran up his nose and into his ears. His bottom half sunk under the water. He drifted away from the riverbank. The current of the river turned him around. His heart sped up. What if he floated all the way out to sea?! He paddled as hard as he could. Somehow, he turned himself in the right direction and made it to the bank.
He climbed out, dripping and shivering.
Mr. Revere and his friends were talking to some other men.
“The Regulars are coming over the river,” Mr. Revere said.
“Yes. We saw the lanterns,” another man said. Filigree recognized the voice of Mr. Revere’s friend Mr. Devens. “The other riders have left. They’ll stop in towns along the way to send out more men. They’ll all ride to Concord.”
To stop the Redcoats from seizing the patriots’ supplies! Filigree remembered.
Mr. Revere nodded. “But my mission is in Lexington. I need to warn Adams and Hancock. They’re meeting at Reverend Clarke’s house. Have you got a fast horse for me?”
“The fastest horse in Massachusetts,” Mr. Devens said. “John Larkin’s mare, Brown Beauty. She’s saddled and ready.” Everyone knew Brown Beauty.
Filigree ran into town as fast as he could. He crept into the dark stable and into Brown Beauty’s stall.
“Patriot business,” he woofed softly. Brown Beauty looked down. She let out a loud, snuffly snort.
“Don’t bother me, dog,” she neighed.
“You’re taking Mr. Revere to Lexington, and I need to come along,” Filigree said as firmly as he could.
Brown Beauty lowered her big head. “You? That’s a joke.” She picked up some hay in her big teeth and began to chomp.
“It’s no joke!” Filigree woofed. “We have to warn Mr. Adams and Mr. Hancock that the Lobsterbacks are coming to arrest them!”
Brown Beauty stopped chomping. She swallowed her mouthful of hay. “That’s tonight?” she whinnied. “I’m ready.” She stomped a hoof.
“Good,” Filigree said. “Let me up.”
“You’d just be in the way,” Brown Beauty said.
“I’m coming with you,” Filigree said. “Mr. Revere needs me.” He jumped as high as he could. He couldn’t get anywhere near the saddle. He tried again.
Brown Beauty flicked her tail at him as if he were a fly. “Not a chance,” she said.
Filigree thought hard.
He turned and began to walk away. “I understand,” he said over his shoulder. “If I’m too heavy for you . . . I wouldn’t want to slow you down.”
Brown Beauty lifted her head and shook her mane. “Don’t be ridiculous. I once raced a ship from the bay to the sea and I won. You think you can slow me down? We’ll see about that! Get on.”
Filigree ran up a slanted piece of wood onto the narrow ledge of the stall door. There he stopped. It was a long, long way to Brown Beauty’s back. Maybe this is a bad idea, he thought.
“Are you coming or not?” she snorted. “I have patriots to save.”
“I’m coming.” Filigree jumped. He landed on Brown Beauty’s saddle. It was slippery. He almost fell. He slid down the saddle and squirmed into the saddlebag. The flap fell down over his head.
The door to the stable opened. Mr. Devens came in and led Brown Beauty from the stall. Outside, Mr. Revere waited. He leaped up onto the horse’s back. Filigree felt him kick her side. Brown Beauty reared up on her back legs.
“To Lexington!” she neighed.
