"Yes," said d.i.c.k, "I am eager to get a chance to strike blows against the rebels. How soon do you think that will happen? When are we likely to get into a battle with them?"
"Hard telling, young man. That"s for the generals to say. What their plans may be is more than I can say."
"I have heard it rumored in our part of the country that he British will make an attack on the rebels soon. That"s the reason I came here to-night. I thought maybe the attack might be made to-morrow, and if I didn"t get here to-night, I would not arrive in time for the fight."
"We might be ordered to move against the rebels to-morrow, for all I know," was the reply. "And then again we might be left sitting here a week or a month. I haven"t any idea when the move will be made."
"I hope it will be soon," declared d.i.c.k, with a view to keeping up the pretense of being imbued with an intense desire to get at the rebels.
"You"ll get a chance to do all the fighting you care for, one of these days, young fellow," said another soldier. "Don"t worry on that score."
"I"m not worrying about it, sir," said d.i.c.k.
"Do you think you will fight when the time comes?" half-sneered another, rather evil-featured fellow, leering at d.i.c.k. "I"d be willing to wager that you"ll do more running than fighting."
"You might lose your money if you wagered it that way," said d.i.c.k, quietly, gazing steadily at the speaker.
"I might, but I don"t think I would," with a harsh laugh. "I don"t think much of the bravery of the Americans, whether rebels or king"s men. They are not the kind that make good soldiers."
"I suppose you think that you are," said d.i.c.k, calmly.
"I know it, sonny!" fiercely. "I"ve been tried in the fire, do you hear? I"m a veteran, and have seen service in the fields of Europe, India and Africa."
"You seem to be great at blowing your own horn, at any rate," said d.i.c.k, quietly. And several of the other soldiers sitting near snickered, which seemed to anger the other very much.
"Do you mean to insult me?" he cried, glancing fiercely at d.i.c.k.
"Oh, no," coolly. "I was simply stating a fact, that is all."
"Well, you had better be careful, that"s all I have got to say!"
snarled the redcoat, viciously. "If you weren"t a boy, I would give you a thumping for what you have already said."
"Don"t let my youth hinder you," retorted d.i.c.k. "I will say this, that I think you will find the people of America as brave as those of your country or any other, and I think, too, that they will make as brave and effective soldiers."
"That"s right, youngster, hold up for your own people," said one of the soldiers approvingly. "The boy"s all right, Coggins," to the ill-natured soldier. "You had no business talking as you did."
"Bah!" sneered Coggins. "I meant what I said, but as the young fellow is not yet out of his teens, I"ll pay no attention to his words. It wouldn"t look well for me to thrash a boy."
"You might find that you had your hands full if you tried it," said d.i.c.k, coldly. He had taken a dislike to the boastful redcoat, and as he was a brave youth, and also had always found himself a match for any man he had ever engaged in a physical struggle with, he had no fear of this fellow.
"There"s good nerve, for you!" remarked a soldier, admiringly. "How do you like it, Coggins?" It was evident that this particular soldier, Coggins, was not very well liked by his comrades.
"Do you think I"m a fool, to get myself laughed at for engaging in a fight with a green country boy?" growled Coggins. "I"ll do no such thing." Rising, he walked away with a swagger, but he gave d.i.c.k a look of hatred as he did so.
A number of the soldiers grinned, and two or three chuckled aloud, and unless Coggins was deaf, he must have heard them.
"Would you really have fought him?" queried a soldier, looking at d.i.c.k keenly, when Coggins was gone.
"If he attacked me, I should have protected myself," was the reply.
"But you couldn"t have done much against him. You"re only a boy."
"I don"t know about that. I am pretty strong and am also rather active, and I have wrestled with a number of grown men, and never found one yet that I couldn"t down."
"Well, you might have held your own with Coggins, but I doubt it a little."
"Better be a bit careful how you ruffle him, young man," said another soldier. "He"s a vicious chap when his anger is aroused, and he would not hesitate to do you serious injury. He gave you a look I noticed that was not exactly friendly, as he left."
"I noticed that, too," smiled d.i.c.k. "But I do not fear him. I shall not try to anger him, but if he annoys me, I will take my own part, that is certain. I won"t let him run over me."
"That"s right, of course," approvingly. "But don"t get into trouble with him if you can avoid it without discredit to yourself."
"I won"t, sir, and thank you for your friendly words."
"You"re welcome. I don"t like Coggins myself, and I don"t care who knows it. He knows it, all right, I guess," with a short laugh. The fact was, though of course d.i.c.k knew nothing of it, that this soldier, whose name was Ferguson, and the other, Coggins, were enemies, having had an encounter once, in which Ferguson had gotten rather the best of it, though the fight did not go to a finish, it having been stopped by order of the colonel.
Soon the soldiers stretching themselves on blankets and going to sleep. d.i.c.k was given a blanket, and he also lay down, being quite tired by this time, and was soon asleep.
The fact that he was in the encampment of the enemy did not have any effect on d.i.c.k"s nerves at all. He was a brave and matter-of-fact youth, and felt the boldest plan was the safest, and so he was enabled to act with as much _sang froid_ as if he were really an adherent of the king and sincere in his desire to fight for him.
d.i.c.k ate breakfast with the rest of the soldiers of his company, then he looked about them, and over the encampment, with interest. It was very interesting indeed to the boy patriot spy and he was eager to see all that there was to be seen.
He noted that this was in itself quite an encampment, but realized that it was only one portion of the whole. He wished to get the other divisions located, and desired also to learn how many soldiers there were in the entire British army. He asked questions, carefully, in such a manner as not to create suspicion, and gradually became possessed of considerable information that he felt must be reliable, since there could be no occasion for those who gave him the information to deceive him, they believing him to be loyal to the king and a soldier the same as they were.
About nine o"clock Company H. was ordered to proceed to the beach for the purpose of allowing the soldiers to bathe, and they set out at once, d.i.c.k accompanying them, of course. On the way they pa.s.sed another division of the British army, and d.i.c.k was informed by a companion that it was the main body.
When they neared the beach, d.i.c.k caught sight of several old hulks of vessels at anchor near the sh.o.r.e, and he inquired what they were.
"Old hulks of dismantled ships," was the reply. "We use them for prisons for those of the rebel army that we capture."
"Are there any rebels in there now?" queried d.i.c.k, making his tone as careless as possible, though having his father in mind, his heart was throbbing with eagerness.
"Yes, there are a number in there-fifteen or twenty, I should judge.
They are in the hulk farthest to the north. Among them are three or four rebel spies who will likely be shot or hanged sooner or later."
d.i.c.k"s heart thrilled as he heard this news. Perhaps he might be able to rescue all those poor, suffering patriot prisoners! He made up his mind that he would try, at any rate. And again the thought struck him that his father might be imprisoned there. He at once decided that he would visit the prison ship and rescue the prisoners, if possible.
Chapter XI
Tom in Trouble
d.i.c.k Dare eyed the British fleet with interest. It lay in the roadstead, just off York Bay, and the sight of the warships was indeed alluring. He asked questions about the fleet, being careful to inquire as if actuated merely by curiosity, and he also managed to secure information as to the number of soldiers in the army on sh.o.r.e. He was told that the army, as a whole, had about twenty-four thousand men in its ranks.
"Phew, that outnumbers our army considerably!" thought d.i.c.k. "Well, no matter, when it comes to battle, I"ll wager that we will give the redcoats all they can do."
When Company H. had finished bathing, the soldiers marched back to the encampment, and other companies were met on their way to the beach to take their turn in the water.