Robert did not go back to the home of Mr. Hardy, until a very late hour, and he slept late the next day.  When he rose he found that all except himself had gone forth for one purpose or another, but it suited his own plan well, as he could now take the letter of Colonel William Johnson to his friend, Master Nicholas Suydam, in Paulus Hook.  It was another dark, gloomy day, but clouds and cold had little effect on his spirits, and when he walked along the shore of the North River, looking for a boat, he met the chaff of the watermen with humorous remarks of his own.  They discouraged his plan to row himself across, but being proud of his skill he clung to it, and, having deposited two golden guineas as security for its return, he selected a small but strong boat and rowed into the stream.

A sharp wind was blowing in from the sea, but he was able to manage his little craft with ease, and, being used to rough water, he enjoyed the rise and dip of the waves.  A third of the way out and he paused and looked back at New York, the steeple of St. George’s showing above the line of houses.  He could distinguish from the mass other buildings that he knew, and his heart suddenly swelled with affection for this town, in which he had received such a warm welcome.  He would certainly live here, when the wars were over, and he could settle down to his career.

Then he turned his eyes to the inner bay, where he saw the usual amount of shipping, sloops, schooners, brigs and every other kind of vessel known to the times.  Behind them rose the high wooded shores of Staten Island, and through the channel between it and Long Island Robert saw other ships coming in.  Truly, it was a noble bay, apparently made for the creation of a great port, and already busy man was putting it to its appointed use.  Then he looked up the Hudson at the lofty Palisades, the precipitous shores facing them, and his eyes came back to the stream.  Several vessels under full sail were steering for the mouth of the Hudson, but he looked longest at a schooner, painted a dark color, and very trim in her lines.  He saw two men standing on her decks, and two or three others visible in her rigging.

Evidently she was a neat and speedy craft, but he was not there to waste his time looking at schooners.  The letter of Colonel William Johnson to Master Nicholas Suydam in Paulus Hook must be delivered, and, taking up his oars, he rowed vigorously toward the hamlet on the Jersey shore.

When he was about two-thirds of the way across he paused to look back again, but the air was so heavy with wintry mists that New York did not show at all.  He was about to resume the oars once more when the sound of creaking cordage caused him to look northward.  Then he shouted in alarm.  The dark schooner was bearing down directly upon him, and was coming very swiftly.  A man on the deck whom he took to be the captain shouted at him, but when Robert, pulling hard, shot his boat ahead, it seemed to him that the schooner changed her course also.