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open.  I’ve got bigger problems right now.” 
    Apparently Andy understood because he wasted no time yanking the keys into the carriage with him. 
    There was a sudden thunderous boom from the road behind us followed immediately by a clang and a spark of light off the handrail I was holding onto.  The shot had been fired from the soldier nearest to me, but fortunately his aim was off. 
    For lack of a better term, it scared the hell out of me.  I involuntarily let go of the rail for a brief instant, but it was a long enough moment to almost kill me.  I fell toward the ground but managed to grab one of the metal steps below the door on the way down.  I hung on to the steps as if my life depended on it, and considering the fact that my legs were now being dragged dangerously close to the rear wheels of the carriage, my life really did depend on it.  I started to pull myself back up, but immediately stopped when I noticed a horse galloping a few feet away from me.  I glanced up at the rider and was greeted with a pistol pointed toward my head.  I was a sitting duck.  There was nothing I could do but close my eyes and wait on my imminent death. 
    I heard a loud explosion, but the death I expected never came.  I opened my eyes and saw my attacker rolling across the dusty street behind us.  His now rider-less horse veered away and disappeared onto another street.  I looked up and was surprised to see Gordon peering down at me from around the front corner of the carriage, the blunderbuss smoking in his right hand.  I gave him a nod of gratitude and then immediately went back to work pulling myself up.  I knew there were two more soldiers on horseback approaching and if I was going to have any chance at dealing with them I had to get back on my feet. 
    The carriage door suddenly swung open and a helping hand appeared in my line of sight.  Without hesitation, I took Andy’s hand—his tiny, boyish hand—and after a few moments of exertion I found myself lying on the inside of the prison carriage, at least temporarily safe from our pursuers.  I got my first look at Andy and although the wide-brimmed hat he was wearing obscured some of his face, it was still plain to see he was only a lad, no more than seventeen or eighteen at the most. 
      “Are you alright sir?” he asked me, very politely.
      “I am lad, thanks a lot for the help.”  I tossed him one of my pistols and some shot.  “Reload and get ready, this may get a bit nasty,” I told him as I prepared my own weapon. 
      “We’re approaching the court house!” Gordon yelled from outside.  “We need to get in position!”
      “Be right there!” I shouted back to him.  Andy had just rammed a ball down the barrel of his pistol when I grabbed his arm.  He looked up at me, wide-eyed with fear etched all over his dirty face.  “Andy, have you ever shot a man?”
    He said nothing, but shook his head side to side. 
    Wonderful , I thought.  It was starting to make sense why Captain Trimble marooned the pathetic lad. 
    I poked my head out the door to get a quick glance of the redcoats chasing us.  Two horses were side by side and only a few feet behind us.  They were certainly capable of pulling alongside us; however, the unknown plotting that was going on inside the carriage seemed to encourage a cautious pursuit for the moment.  The blunderbuss Gordon had used to dispose of one of their fellow soldiers was obviously still fresh on their minds as well.  One of them spotted me peeking and began to shout furious curses at me. I was unable to resist the urge to quickly stick my tongue out at him in reply.  I didn’t wait for a response and pulled my head back in to safety.  Andy stared at me, awaiting instructions.
      “Andy, all I need you to do is follow me to the roof of the carriage.  I don’t really care how you do it.  You’ve got a pistol, use the shot wisely,” I said.  He stared at me, obviously unsure if he was up to