The Dare Boys Of 1776 Part 20

was d.i.c.k's thought.

But the redcoats did not do this. They talked of matters of no importance or interest to d.i.c.k, and after staying an hour or so, they get up and returned to the encampment.

d.i.c.k was disappointed. "I was in hopes that I would learn something from their conversation," he muttered. "Well, perhaps some more soldiers will visit the clump of trees to-day, and in that case I may succeed in securing some information. I hope that such will be the case, anyway."

Noon came, and no other soldiers had visited the clump of trees. d.i.c.k was not discouraged, however. He felt that he would likely get a chance to hear other soldiers talk that afternoon.

He ate the rest of his food, and then sat down beside a tree and took it easy for a while. He knew that the soldiers were busy cooking their dinners, and that none would likely come to the timber for quite a while.

As he sat there, gazing idly over toward the encampment, however, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him, and turned his head quickly, and saw a British soldier standing within a few paces of him, musket in hand, eyeing him suspiciously.

"h.e.l.lo," greeted the redcoat.

d.i.c.k was surprised and somewhat dismayed as well, but he was a cool youth, and did not let the fact that he was fl.u.s.tered show on his face. Instead, he affected a cool and careless air, and replied:

"h.e.l.lo. Good afternoon, sir."

The soldier stood there, keeping a keen eye on the youth.

"Who are you?" he queried.

"My name is d.i.c.k Morris." d.i.c.k gave the first name that came to his mind.

"Humph. What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. Just sitting here."

"Why are you sitting here?" d.i.c.k believed the soldier was suspicious of him.

"I'm resting," replied the youth.

"Resting, eh?"

"Yes, sir."

"What made you tired?"

"I have come quite a distance. I walked here from nearly twenty miles east, and I'm resting in the shade, before continuing my journey. No objection is there?"

"Humph. Where are you bound for?"

"Over on the sh.o.r.e of the bay."

"What are you going there for?"

"To work for a man, sir."

"Who?"

"An old fisherman."

"Humph. You seem to be interested in the army, yonder, judging by the way you were looking that way when I came up."

"Yes, sir," replied d.i.c.k, quietly. "When one has never seen an army before, it does interest one."

The redcoat eyed d.i.c.k searchingly.

"I'm almost inclined to believe that you are not what you make out yourself to be," he said, after a few moments.

"Why so, sir?" d.i.c.k opened his eyes as if surprised and puzzled and looked at the soldier inquiringly.

"Because-in these times of war, it is often the case that anyone like yourself may turn out to be a spy."

"A spy?" exclaimed d.i.c.k, a.s.suming a most astonished expression.

"Yes, and you may be a spy for all I know."

d.i.c.k shook his head. "Oh, no, you've got another guess," he said. He felt that he was doing no wrong in denying being a spy, to a British soldier.

"I'm not so sure of it," was the stubborn reply. "I think that I shall have to take you into camp and see what General Percy has to say about the matter."

d.i.c.k's heart sank. General Percy was the officer he had seen, a few weeks before, when he had pretended to join the British force, and the officer would recognize him at once, without doubt. It would not do to permit himself to be taken into the camp, a prisoner. It would result disastrously, as he would likely be shot as a spy, for it was known that he had rescued the patriot prisoners out of the old prison-ship in the bay, and he would be handled severely. Even though only a boy in years, he had proven himself capable of doing a man's work.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that, if I were you," said d.i.c.k, calmly.

The soldier smiled grimly. "I suppose you do not view the matter favorably," he replied. "But, I think it my duty to take you into camp, for you may be a dangerous spy."

d.i.c.k had been doing some swift thinking, and he had made up his mind that he must not permit himself to be taken into the encampment a prisoner. He must manage in some way to prevent the soldier from accomplishing this. The only way, so far as he could see, was to engage the soldier in a struggle, and overpower him, and as the redcoat looked a pretty husky fellow, this would likely not be an easy thing to accomplish. But d.i.c.k was more than ordinarily strong, and he was quick and athletic, and a good wrestler, and he believed he could overpower the soldier. He felt confident he could do so, if he could succeed in taking the redcoat by surprise.

d.i.c.k, busy thinking, made no reply to the redcoat's last remark, and the soldier, after waiting a few moments, said sharply: "Get up, young fellow."

d.i.c.k rose to his feet, slowly and quietly. His actions were such as would cause the redcoat to think he did not contemplate offering any resistance, and this was done purposely, so as to throw the redcoat off his guard. And it worked that way, for the soldier, with a careless wave of the hand, said:

"March along in front of me to the encampment, young fellow. We'll see what General Percy thinks about you."

But d.i.c.k did not march, as ordered to do. Instead, he suddenly leaped upon the amazed soldier, and seizing him by the throat, so as to prevent his crying out, tripped him, throwing him to the ground heavily, and then, seated astride the redcoat's body, and holding him pinned to the earth in spite of his struggles.

The soldier was a pretty strong man, but he had been taken at a disadvantage and by surprise, and so was not in a position to exercise his full powers, and the result was, that although only a youth of eighteen years, d.i.c.k managed to choke the soldier into a state of insensibility in a very few minutes.

And then, when confident that the redcoat was unconscious, d.i.c.k let go his hold, and proceeded to bind the redcoat's hands and feet, and gag him. This accomplished, the youth dragged the soldier into the deepest and thickest clump of bushes and concealed him there, so that in case any soldiers came to the timber, later on, they would not discover his presence.

Having accomplished this task, d.i.c.k sat down beside the tree and drew a long breath of relief and satisfaction.

"There, that turned out all right, after all," he murmured. "But, I thought at first that I might be taken into camp a prisoner, and that would have been bad indeed."

d.i.c.k looked toward the encampment keenly, as he spoke, and noted that all was quiet there, and that none of the soldiers were as yet evincing any disposition to visit the clump of timber.

At least an hour pa.s.sed, and then d.i.c.k saw a couple of soldiers leave the encampment and come toward the timber. As soon as he was certain they were coming to loll in the shade of the trees, d.i.c.k climbed the tree. From there he could hear the conversation of the redcoats, and there was not much chance that they would discover his presence, the foliage in the tree as has been noted, being quite thick.