We received word that the fashionable and well-bred ladies were to have an archery competition at the bottom of the hill near the woods. The Acastas in camp decided that such a spectacle was not to be missed. I took a piece of unused canvas from camp to recline on, and Lt Hamilton took a fine ladderback chair. Mr. Raley joined us as well. We positioned ourselves on the slope just above the target and relaxed with our coats off. I even took my great spy glass so as to better see the positioning of each fired arrow in the target.
Taking our ease atop the hill was not quite the difficult duty I had initially envisioned when given this assignment, but the taking of the territory by Brock and the dispersal of the local militia certainly served to make New Boston a more friendly to the British forces.
While the ladies partook in the archery, I was able to espy Mr. Tumbusch from afar through my spyglass while he stood with the participants under a great tree. He carried on his shoulder a large market-wallet that could have contained the packet in it, and I had seen him in possession of a basket with shoulder straps earlier that could have served that same purpose.
We decided it was time to secure Mr Tumbusch for questioning. We took him up from the group and returned him to our camp so as to avoid any unpleasantness as well as the rain that was fast approaching.
We searched Mr Tumbusch under the fly as the rain began to fall in earnest. He stood with arms akimbo as we emptied the contents of his market wallet and basket onto the ground under the canvas of the Acasta camp. After a very thourough search, it was concluded that he was not in possession of the packet.
The three initial suspects produced no results.
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