When Dick Dare was confronted by General Arnold and Colonel Riggs, in the Sprowl home, he realized that it would be useless to offer resistance. So he simply sat there quietly, and made no move toward trying to get away. He was chiding himself, however, for not having been more careful, and see to it that Sprowl did not bring some redcoats back with him.
“Good evening, General Arnold,” said Dick, quietly. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I suppose not,” sarcastically. “But I’m here. That was a very shrewd plan of yours, to get Sprowl to secure information for you, and it might have succeeded, had it not been that I became suspicious when he told me about you, and I jumped to the conclusion that likely you were Dick Dare, so came to investigate.” Then he turned to Sprowl, who had entered with them, and said:
“Get a rope and bind his arms.”
Sprowl went to the kitchen and came back with a piece of rope, and he quickly tied Dick’s wrists together behind his back.
“Now, Dick Dare, you will answer a few questions, if you please,” said Arnold.
“What are the questions?” the youth asked.
“First, how many men are there in the rebel force?”
Dick shook his head. “I won’t answer that question,” he said.
“You had better,” threateningly.
“No.”
“Remember, you are in my power, Dick Dare. You are a rebel spy, and also I owe you something for trying to capture me, in New York a few months ago and again last evening. Answer my question.”
“I will not give you any information that might be of use to you in your campaign against the patriot force,” said Dick, decidedly.
“You had better think well. I have the power to order you strung up to a tree as a rebel spy.”
“That doesn’t make any difference,” was the reply. “I will give you no information, so there is no use of your asking.”
Arnold glared at Dick angrily for a few moments, and then said: “Very well. Since you wish to be stubborn, you may take the consequences. I think I shall have you strung up, perhaps tomorrow, Richard Dare!”
Dick made no reply, and Arnold summoned a couple of soldiers. They entered, took charge of Dick, and conducted him to a cabin that was being used as a guard-house. They thrust Dick into the building and closed and fastened the door. The youth was left alone in the darkness to ponder his dubious situation.
He felt that his position was a desperate one, for he knew that Arnold bore him ill will for the part he had played in trying to effect the traitor’s capture in New York; and, too, he was a spy, and death was usually the fate of spies.
Dick decided that he must manage to make his escape, but he felt that this would be extremely difficult, for there were soldiers on guard in front of the building, and his hands were still bound.
He worked at his bonds quite a while, however, in an effort to get his wrists free, but could not do so, Sprowl having tied the rope very securely. Finally Dick gave up the attempt, and felt around till he found a rude couch, upon which he threw himself, and presently went to sleep.
He did not sleep very soundly, but morning came at last, and a soldier brought him his breakfast. His wrists were freed while he ate, and he put in as much time at the meal as possible, so as to get the blood to circulating in his wrists and arms again. He wanted the soldier to let his arms remain free, but the fellow would not do it, and bound his wrists again.
Then he went out, closed and again fastened the door, and Dick sat down on the couch and tried to figure out some plan of escape, but without success.
That day passed slowly indeed for Dick Dare, but evening came at last, and while he was eating supper the redcoat informed him that an attack was to be made on the patriot force that evening.
“I wish I could be there to take part in it,” said Dick.
“No doubt,” was the reply. Then the soldier bound Dick’s wrists again, and withdrew.
So the redcoats were going to make an attack that evening! Well, Dick hoped that the patriots would not be taken by surprise. He wished that he might be able to escape and carry them the news, but he could not.
He heard the sounds of stirring about by the redcoats, and knew when they marched out of the settlement, and then he got up and walked the floor. He could not sit still, for the thought that perhaps the British might take the patriots by surprise was a disquieting one.
An hour passed, and then Dick guessed that the engagement was probably about to begin. And just then the faint sound of musketry and the occasional louder report of cannon came to his hearing, and then he knew the battle was on.
How he wished that he might be there! But the wish was vain. He could not escape from his quarters.
The firing continued for an hour, at least, and then suddenly, as Dick walked the floor, he saw one of the wide boards that constituted the floor of the building he was in, lift slowly, and at the opening thus made he saw his brother Tom!
“Sh!” whispered Tom. “I have come to rescue you, Dick.”
“Good for you, Tom,” replied Dick, cautiously. “See if you can get in here, and free my arms. Then I will be able to help myself. Wait. I can hold apart the boards with my feet.” This he proceeded to do.
Tom crawled up through the opening and, drawing a knife from his pocket, cut the rope binding Dick’s wrists. Dick stretched his arms, and then rubbed them vigorously to get the blood to circulating. While so engaged, he asked:
“Are there any soldiers on guard outside?”
“There’s a couple around in front,” replied Tom.
“Then we can slip out the other way, keeping the building between us and the guards.”
“Yes. Their interest and intention is on the battle, the sounds of which you have heard, I guess.”
“Yes. Did you take any part in the battle?” inquired Dick.
“No. As soon as the battle began I slipped away and came here, as I knew it would be a good time to try to rescue you, as there would be very few soldiers left here.”
“Right. Well, let’s get out of here quick, now.”
“Come on. You are bigger than me, but I guess you can squeeze through this opening and crawl along under the floor. There isn’t much room, however.”
“Go ahead, Tom. I’ll be right at your heels.” Tom worked his way feet-first down through the opening, and then disappeared, and after him went Dick. As Tom had said, there wasn’t much room under the floor, but Dick managed to work his way along and finally crawled out from underneath the floor, and rose to a standing posture, beside Tom.
“The guards are still around in front, discussing the battle,” whispered Tom. “Let’s make a dash for the woods.”
“Wait a bit. One of them is coming. Give me one of your pistols.”
This Tom did and the two crouched closely to the wall, ready to spring upon the guard immediately he should appear.
“He is only lighting his pipe,” whispered Tom. “I hear him striking the flint.”
“Then we can make a break for the woods. Run your fastest, Tom.”
“All right.”
Then they set out on the run, making as little noise as possible. They had traversed considerably more than half the distance to the edge of the forest, when one of the guards who had walked to the corner of the building, happened to glance in their direction, and caught sight of the two youths. He was suspicious at once that one of them might be his prisoner.
“See if the prisoner has escaped!” he cried to the other guard. “And be quick!”
Then finding that Dick was gone, both the guards came rushing around the corner of the building and started in pursuit of the fugitives.
“Stop!” yelled one. “Stop, or we’ll fire!”
Of course, the patriot youths did not stop, or pay the least attention to the command. They kept right on running and were now at the line of the forest.
Into the woods Dick and Tom dashed just as the redcoats drew their pistols and fired at the fugitives. The bullets zipped into the tree trunks just back of them. Again the redcoats fired, with the same result.
“Now we are all right,” said Dick. “They have only two pistols apiece, likely, and so will not be able to fire again, unless they stop and reload, in which case we would get so far away from them that they would never get within shooting distance again.”
“That’s so,” said Tom.
Gradually they drew away from the pursuing redcoats, and finally the pursuers gave up the chase and turned back. As soon as they noted this, Dick and Tom slowed their pace to a walk and took it easy.
They continued onward till they came to the bank of a creek. The bank was high, and they noted that at the point where they stood, a portion of the bank seemed to have caved away recently. They glanced downward, and saw that several tons of earth had fallen into the creek at least thirty feet below, and at a point about ten or twelve feet down the face of the bank a ledge that projected three or four feet had caught and held a ton or so of earth.
It was now almost dark, however, and the youths, after resting a few moments, were about to turn and start for the patriot encampment when to their hearing came a muffled cry for help.
“Listen!” exclaimed Dick.
“Somebody cried ‘help,’” said Tom.
“Yes, but where did the voice come from?”
“It sounded to me as if it came from below us, somewhere.”
“That’s the way it seemed to me.”
Dick and Tom dropped down on their knees, and peered downward, and Dick called out, loudly:
“Hello, down there! Where are you?”
“In the cave,” came back to their ears, in a muffled, faint voice. “In behind the earth that has closed up the entrance to the cave.”
“Well, that is queer!” exclaimed Tom. “Somebody was in the cave when the bank caved off, and is a prisoner there.”
“We must get him out, Tom.”
“Yes, but how will we do it?”
“We must get down there on top of the ledge, and dig an opening.”
“That’s right. I guess we can get down there. Let’s try it, anyhow.”
They began making their way down the side of the creek-bank. It was now slightly sloping, and there were projections and indentations sufficient to give them foothold, and presently they stood on the top of the heap of earth that had lodged on the ledge. They looked to see if they could see any signs of the entrance, and near the top of the pile of dirt they found a small opening, which they judged was near the top wall of the cave itself. Dick placed his mouth close to the little opening and called out:
“Hello, in there. Are you all right?”
“Yes,” was the reply. And then in an eager voice came the query: “Is that you, Dick?”
Dick uttered an exclamation of amazement. “Great Guns, Tom,” he cried. “I believe that is Ben, in there!”
“What!” exclaimed Tom. “Why, I left him at the encampment.”
“Is that you, Ben?” called Dick.
“Yes. How did you get here, Dick? I supposed you were a prisoner.”
“I was, but Tom rescued me.”
“Ah!” eagerly. “Is Tom with you?”
“Yes.”
“Good! I was hunting him when I got into this predicament.”
“We’ll soon have you out of there, Ben. We’ll dig from the outside, and you dig from the inside, and we’ll soon have an opening big enough for you to crawl through.”
“I can’t dig, Dick. My hands are tied.”
“What!” exclaimed Dick. “How did that happen?”
“I was captured by some redcoats, but managed to break away and took to my heels. They chased me, and I fell over the edge of the creek-bank, and landed on the ledge and rolled into the cave, and just then the bank caved off and the dirt closed up the opening. I was just wondering how I was ever to get out of here. I guess it is lucky for me that you boys happened along here.”
“I judge you are right, for you could not have dug a hole through the dirt with your hands tied. Tom and I will soon have an opening though that you can crawl through, however.”
“Good for you.”
Dick and Tom went to work, digging, and in fifteen or twenty minutes had made a hole through which Ben managed to crawl, with their assistance. They cut the rope binding his arms, and then the three climbed up the bank, to the level ground, where they sat down to rest a few minutes, and Ben told his adventure in detail, and Tom and Dick each told of their experiences. A little later, all mightily happy, they were on their way again in the direction of the patriot encampment.
“I wonder how the battle went?” said Dick, as they walked onward at a swift pace.
“We drove them away,” said Ben. “I was there till the battle was over, and then, missing Tom, set out to find him.”
“Oh, you didn’t leave the encampment till after the battle, then.”
“No. We got rather the better of the redcoats, I am certain. They lost a greater number killed, and a larger number were wounded, than of our men. And we forced them to retreat.”
“That is good,” said Dick.
“I wish I had been there to help fight the redcoats,” said Tom.
“So do I,” said Dick. And as the readers of the Dare Boys books will readily believe, this was true. But that they were to take part in many exciting battles before the end of the war will be seen, as the reader may if he wishes discover in the next volume of the series, which will be entitled, “The Dare Boys With General Greene.”
“Was Tim or Fritz wounded?” asked Tom, anxiously.
“No,” replied Ben. “They were not hurt.”
Presently they reached the encampment, and were given a cordial welcome by their comrades, Tim, Fritz and Herbert Miller being delighted.
Dick went to the house occupied by Colonel Morris and the other officers and made a report, telling what he knew of the strength of the British force, and then went back and rejoined his comrades, and they sat around and talked of the battle for a while, after which they lay down and were soon asleep.
This first battle was the beginning of an exciting and vigorous campaign between Arnold’s force of redcoats and Tories, and the patriot force under Colonel Morris.
Each force kept close watch on the other, and attempts were made to surprise each other and thus gain a victory, but in the three or four engagements that took place within the next few days neither side scored a victory, and the losses of men, killed and wounded, was about the same.
“We will get the better of Arnold yet, however,” said Colonel Morris, determinedly, in council with his officers. “We will keep close watch on them, and presently we will get a chance to strike them a blow.”
He kept Dick Dare pretty busy reconnoitering and spying on the British, and Tom and Ben assisted Dick quite a good deal in this work. Herbert Miller, too, was of considerable use, the four doing a lot of good work in the spying and reconnoitering line.
One evening, when Dick and Tom were watching the British encampment, they saw that the redcoats were breaking camp. They supposed that the British were going to advance against the patriot force again and make another attack, but waited to make sure of this, before carrying the news to Colonel Morris; but when the British were ready to march, they set out toward the east, instead of toward the patriot encampment, which lay to the northward.
“They are leaving this part of the country!” exclaimed Tom, excitedly. “They have gotten enough of fighting our force, and are marching away.”
“I guess you are right, Tom,” said Dick. “Well, you hasten to Colonel Morris with the information. I will follow the British and keep them under observation.”
“All right, Dick.” Then Tom hastened away, and Dick set out on the trail of the British. The redcoats marched perhaps ten or twelve miles, and then went into camp, and Dick, feeling sure that they would remain there till morning, made his way back till he met the patriot force advancing.
Colonel Morris was delighted when he learned that the British had stopped and gone into camp, and he decided to go forward and make an attack, taking the British by surprise, if possible.
Dick guided the patriot force, and a couple of hours later they were close to the encampment.
The patriots advanced slowly and cautiously, now, and succeeded in getting almost up to the sentinel line before they were discovered. Then at a command from Colonel Morris, they charged upon the British forces. As they did so, they opened fire from their muskets, and then were at close enough quarters to use their bayonets. There was a hot fight for a little while, and then the redcoats broke and fled in confusion, as the patriots fired a couple of pistol-volleys after the fleeing enemy.
This was a decided victory for the patriots, for they had killed a score at least of the British, had wounded thirty or forty, and had lost only six, killed, and had ten wounded.
This battle was effective in placing a check on the operations of Arnold in that part of Virginia. Colonel Morris kept after him, and in several engagements got the better of him, and Arnold’s force was not able to do much damage, which was very satisfactory to the patriot settlers, who prior to the coming of the patriot force had been terrorized by Arnold’s army. The plundering and burning of houses was stopped, and the patriot people rested in comparative peace.