"So it is," agreed d.i.c.k. "But the patriots will give a good account of themselves when the time comes, I feel certain."
"Yah, ve vill gif ein goot accound mit mysellufs," said Fritz, the Dutch soldier.
"Just listen to thot, wull yez?" remarked Tim, scathingly. "Shure an"
there is agotism fur yez!"
"Well, I hope all of us will always give a good account of ourselves,"
said d.i.c.k, quietly. "And I believe we will."
"We"ll try to, d.i.c.k," said Ben, earnestly.
A few days later General Washington again summoned d.i.c.k and told him to go over on Long Island and see if he could learn anything regarding the intentions of the British.
"You will have to be very careful, this time, however, d.i.c.k," he cautioned; "for you are known to many of the British, and if they should see you, they would capture you, and that would be bad."
"True, sir," said d.i.c.k. "I will be very careful. I will not let them capture me, if I can help myself." Then, after receiving his instructions, d.i.c.k saluted and withdrew.
After supper he set out, and crossing the East River, made his way in the direction of the British encampment, which was about five miles distant, to the southward. He did not need to go to Brooklyn Heights to see General Putnam, for the reason that he now knew more about the location of the enemy than Putnam did.
d.i.c.k did not walk rapidly, for he felt that it were better to proceed with caution, for if he went too swiftly he could not exercise much care, and the result might be unpleasant, as there was danger that he might run into a party of British. By going slowly he could avoid this danger.
Two hours from the time he crossed the East River, he was in the vicinity of the British encampment, and he moved slowly around it, trying to figure out some way to get where he could secure information, but to no avail. He could not devise any means of doing this. To enter the lines was out of the question, for there would likely be some of the soldiers who would recognize him as the youth who had joined the British army a few days before and then deserted.
Doubtless the British were aware of the fact, also, that the same youth had set the prisoners free from the prison-ship.
d.i.c.k remained near the British encampment till after midnight, but could do nothing to further the purpose for which he had come, and so he retired to a clump of trees situated about a quarter of a mile from the edge of the encampment, and hunting up a place under some bushes, lay down and went to sleep.
He slept soundly till morning, and then got up and took a survey of the British encampment. The sun was just rising, and everything was quiet in the camp. The soldiers were still asleep, with the exception of the sentinels, who could be seen slowly pacing their beats.
d.i.c.k had nothing to eat, but did not let that bother him. He was prepared to go without food all day, if by so doing he would have a better chance of securing information regarding the enemy. He watched till the British soldiers got up and ate their breakfast, and then as he saw small groups moving about, some coming almost to the clump of trees, he decided that it would be best to climb up into a tree and conceal himself amid the leaves, and selecting a tree with very heavy foliage, he climbed well up into it. Here he took up as comfortable a position as possible, watching the enemy and awaiting developments.
All was quiet till noon, and then as he saw the soldiers eating their dinners, he was a.s.sailed by a feeling of hunger. He resolutely dismissed the thought of food, however, and stuck to his position. He was determined to stay till evening, at any rate, and then if he had not secured any information, he would go to a farmhouse which he saw about a mile distant, to the eastward, and get something to eat, after which he would return to his post. He was determined to remain in the vicinity of the army till he learned something of value in the way of news regarding the intentions of the British, if it took him a week.
He climbed down out of the tree presently and walked about, in the thicket, stretching in legs and feeling much better afterward, for his position had been a cramped one at the best.
When the British soldiers began moving around again, after dinner, d.i.c.k climbed up into the tree once more, for some of the redcoats might visit the clump of trees at any time. A party of four of the soldiers did enter the thicket an hour or so later, and throwing themselves down in the shade, talked and laughed for some time, but although d.i.c.k listened with intense eagerness, no words were spoken that gave him any information. If the soldiers knew of any intended move on the part of the British army, they did not mention the fact in their conversation, which was made up of idle talk, of the kind as such men would naturally indulge in.
When they left and returned to the encampment d.i.c.k drew a breath of relief, for he felt that every minute they remained in the clump. of trees he was in danger of discovery. He might make a noise, in shifting his position, and be heard, or he might have to sneeze, or cough. And if he were to be discovered, it would go hard with him, for he would undoubtedly be deemed a spy.
After the redcoats returned to the encampment, d.i.c.k descended to the ground and walked about a while, being careful to keep the most of the thicket between himself and the enemy. After half an hour on the ground, he again climbed up into the tree.
d.i.c.k began to think the day was to be barren of results, as evening drew near; but a little while before sundown he caught sight of a couple of soldiers approaching the clump of trees. As the two drew near, he got a fair view of their faces, and he had all he could do to keep from uttering an exclamation, for-the two approaching British soldiers were no others than Zeke Boggs and Lem Hicks, d.i.c.k"s enemies, the Tory youths from over in New Jersey!
"Well, this is a surprise!" thought d.i.c.k. "But I remember now, that Ben said Zeke told him he and Lem were going to join the British army and be British soldiers, that they were not going to let Tom, Ben, and myself get ahead of them. I wonder what they would say if they knew I was so near them?"
Zeke and Lem, dressed in the uniform of British soldiers, entered the clump of timber and seated themselves on the moss under the tree next to that d.i.c.k was in. They had no suspicion that there was anyone other than themselves present, and talked freely of their plans.
"How do ye like army life, anyhow, Zeke?" asked Lem, as they lolled on the gra.s.s.
"Oh, pretty well, Lem," was the reply. "How do ye like et?"
"Oh, only so-so, Zeke. They"re too strict ter suit me. I don"t like ter hev ter come an" go just ez sumbuddy tells me, do you?"
"No, I don"t. But when er feller enters the army, that"s jest whut he hez ter do."
"Yes, thet"s so. Well, I guess I"ll git used ter et."
"I"ll be glad when we git inter a bettle with the rebels, Lem, won"t you?"
"Yes, I guess so." The tone was not very decided or enthusiastic. "I hope thet ef we do git inter a battle, we"ll meet up with d.i.c.k an" Tom Dare an" Ben Foster."
"So do I. I"d like ter giv" "em a thrashin" in a battle."
"So would I. An" I guess thet we"ll hev a chance to fight the rebels afore so very long, fur I heerd our colonel tell another officer thet et hez be"n decided ter make an attack on Brooklyn Heights the twenty-fourth."
"Yes, I heard "im say thet."
d.i.c.k made mental note of this date. He had learned something of value, and from the lips of his enemies, Zeke and Lem. How angry they would be if they knew they had done d.i.c.k Dare a kindness! "Thank you, Zeke and Lem," he murmured. "You are very kind, and have done me quite a favor."
The two Tory youths remained there half an hour or so, and then returned to the encampment. Their conversation had held nothing further of interest to d.i.c.k, but what he had learned was sufficient.
He had learned when the British intended to make the attack, and that was just what he had come over there to try to learn. Now he was eager to get back to New York and tell the commander-in-chief the news.
As soon as it was dark, he set out for New York, and reached there a couple of hours later. He went at once to headquarters, where he told General Washington what he had learned.
The commander-in-chief complimented d.i.c.k on his success in securing the information, and next morning he sent three thousand troops over to reinforce General Putnam"s force on Brooklyn Heights. To the delight of d.i.c.k, Tom and Ben, Colonel Morgan"s regiment was among those sent, and the youths would thus be able to take part in the battle.
When the 24th arrived, however, the British did not make the expected attack, and about mid-day General Washington came over to the Heights and conferred with Putnam, and d.i.c.k was asked his opinion regarding the non-appearance of the British.
"I don"t understand it, sir," he replied. "I heard the two Tory youths say that an attack would be made on the twenty-fourth. Perhaps the British have learned that you were expecting them, and have postponed the attack on that account."
"That is possible," agreed General Washington. "Well, the only thing to do, now, is to keep constantly on the lookout and be ready all the time to repulse an attack."
"That is the proper course, your excellency," said General Putnam.
So it was decided to remain in readiness, and to keep out double the usual number of sentinels, so as to avoid being taken by surprise.
This course was adopted, and the patriots kept in readiness for instant battle, and waited with what patience they could muster, pestered as they were by the hot weather and myriads of mosquitoes, for the British to make an attack.
Chapter XIV
The Haunted House
Life in the patriot camp often grew irksome to the volunteers of Washington"s army. All were eager to meet their red-coat foes, and prove their mettle in a real battle. Thus far the troops gathered in New York, had been forced to content themselves with occasional skirmishes with the British outposts, which little affairs only served to increase their eagerness to "have it out" with the invaders.
To make the long days of waiting pa.s.s more pleasantly, frequent excursions were made into the surrounding country in search of adventures and to pick up whatever delicacies in the way of fruit and fowl that the outlying farms afforded. Tom appointed himself a committee of one to supply the company to which he and his friends belonged. He had exhausted most of the well-known haunts about camp, and was in the habit of going off on long tramps to find the coveted fruit.
One evening toward dusk Tom was sauntering along a quiet country road hunting for apples. In the course of his wanderings he came upon a well laden tree standing on the grounds of a neglected estate. Far back amongst the trees was the deserted mansion-house, looking desolate and forbidding in the rays of the sinking sun.