"It is February 1776, and George Washington's revolutionary troops are laying siege to the town of Boston, where Loyalist citizens, protected by a sadly depleted British army, wait in desperate fear for their lives. Though cold and hungry, fourteen-year-old Rachel Miller continues to deliver the leather goods her guardian repairs. During one of these errands, she has her first encounter with an ugly, menacing stranger, whose ruthless behaviour terrifies her. When Boston is finally evacuated, Rachel is befriended on board her transport ship to Halifax by high-spirited Joshua Wakefield, and together they discover the reason behind the mysterious man's wily and astonishing activities"--Back cover.