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[Illustration: Ben goes over the edge of the bank.]
THE DARE BOYS IN VIRGINIA
by
STEPHEN ANGUS COX
Illustrations by R. Mencl
New York
Hurst & Co., Inc.
Publishers
* * * * * *
THE DARE BOYS
By STEPHEN ANGUS COX
The author of the Dare Boys is specially equipped through long
study and research to write upon the life and adventures of the
revolutionary period. Every item of historical reference is
absolutely correct. The trials and inherent bravery of the
sturdy warriors of this epoch are always subjects worth while,
but here the dash and bravery of the two Dare boys adds
immeasurably to the interest.
1. The Dare Boys of 1776
2. The Dare Boys on the Hudson
3. The Dare Boys in Trenton
4. The Dare Boys on the Brandywine
5. The Dare Boys in the Red City
6. The Dare Boys After Benedict Arnold
7. The Dare Boys in Virginia
8. The Dare Boys With General Greene
9. The Dare Boys With Lafayette
10. The Dare Boys and the “Swamp Fox”
11. The Dare Boys at Vincennes
12. The Dare Boys in the North West
Illustrated, 12mo, Cloth
Price per Volume, 40 Cents
Copyright, 1910, by
The Platt & Peck Co.
* * * * * *
Table of Contents
I—In Virginia
II—Roughly Handled
III—Lizzie Santon
IV—Warning the Settlers
V—The Redcoats Foiled
VI—Dick
VII—In the Tories
VIII—Tim And Fritz At Work
IX—Tim and Fritz
X—To the Rescue
XI—The Tories Again
XII—The Pathfinders
XIII—In the Swamp
XIV—Routed
XV—At the Dance
XVI—The Bottle of Cider
XVII—Arnold
XVIII—A Daring Attempt
XIX—The Armies Close Together
XX—Dick And Hank Sprowl
XXI—Tom Reconnoiters
XXII—The Battle
XXIII—Dick And Arnold
XXIV—The Rescue
XXV—Beating Arnold
THE DARE BOYS IN VIRGINIA
CHAPTER I—In Virginia
“Well, here we are in Virginia,” said Tom Dare. “It is fine, don’t you
fellows think? When we left New York, it was cold, with heavy snow on
the ground, while here, instead of snow, there are patches of green
grass and the weather is warm and nice.”
“It certainly is lots more pleasant here than in New York at this time
of the year,” agreed Ben Foster.
“Yes, camp life is much more agreeable in a warm climate than in a
region where there is snow and cold weather,” acquiesced Dick Dare.
It was now the middle of the month of December of the year 1780, and the
patriot regiment under the command of Colonel Morris had been sent down
from the vicinity of New York, by General Washington, to try to hold in
check the army of General Arnold, the traitor, who, having tried to
deliver his country into the hands of the British, for gold, and failed,
had been sent to Virginia, to have charge of the British campaign in
that State.
One of the reasons for sending Arnold down there was to get him far
enough away from General Washington, so that there would not be much
danger of his being captured, an attempt to capture him while he was in
New York having been made, but without success.
In Colonel Morris’ regiment, and among the members of the company
commanded by Captain Morgan, were three youths of about twenty years,
who had done good work for the patriot cause during the years they had
been in the patriot army. These youths were Dick and Tom Dare, brothers,
and Ben Foster, a neighbor boy--the Dares and Fosters living close
together, in New Jersey, a few miles east of Philadelphia--and now that
they were here in Virginia, they looked forward to a lively campaign,
for the warm, pleasant weather, so different from what they had left up
North, would make it possible to move swiftly about the country.
The regiment had gone into camp on the bank of a little stream in the
heavy woods, perhaps ten miles from the James River. Colonel Morris did
not know the whereabouts of Arnold and his army, but liking this site
for an encampment, he had decided to stay till he gained the necessary
information.
When we introduce the Dare Boys and Ben Foster to the reader’s notice,
it is evening, and the soldiers are engaged in cooking their suppers
beside the campfires. It was a lively, picturesque and interesting scene
indeed, or would have so looked to anyone viewing such a scene for the
first time. But to the soldiers, who had been campaigning four years, no
thought of their appearance came to them. Their minds were on the then
very essential matter of cooking their supper.
This important task finished finally, the soldiers ate heartily, and
then, as was their wont, settled down to enjoy themselves. Those who
smoked lighted their pipes, while others sat about in groups and talked
of the coming campaign, in which they hoped to be able to make it hot
for the traitor, Arnold, and his army of British soldiers and Tories.
Dick, Tom and Ben, and some of the other soldiers, among whom were Tim
Murphy and Fritz Schmockenburg, sat in a little group and talked
earnestly of their expected encounters with Arnold and his little army,
and all were pleased with the outlook. They liked what they had seen of
Virginia, and were glad they had come to the South, where suffering from
the cold was not a necessary concomitant of camp life.
“I like id down here,” said Fritz, nodding decidedly. “I hobe dot ve
sday down here till der war is ended alretty.”
“Sure an’ thot would suit me, too,” said Tim. “Oi’m t’inkin’ thot
Virginia is good enough for me.”
“I wonder where Arnold’s army is,” said Tom.
“That is what everybody is wondering, I guess,” said Ben.
“Yes,” said Dick. “We know that Arnold is somewhere in this part of
Virginia, but he may be a hundred miles from this spot.”
“Well, when we find out where he is, we’ll make it hot for him,” said
Tom.
“Yah, dot is vot ve vill do,” said Fritz.
They continued to talk quite a while, and finally got out their
blankets, lay down and were soon sound asleep. They slept splendidly
till morning, and then cooked and ate their breakfast, after which for
exercise they walked about for a while; of course within the bounds of
the camp, after which they again sat down to talk.
While thus engaged, an orderly from Colonel Morris’ tent appeared, and
said to Dick Dare:
“You are wanted at the headquarters tent, Dick Dare.”
“All right,” the youth replied. “I’ll go along with you.” He got up and
accompanied the orderly, and was soon standing in the tent, in the
presence of Colonel Morris.
“Dick Dare,” said the colonel, looking at the youth earnestly, “we are
desirous of learning the whereabouts of Arnold’s army, and so I have
summoned you to tell you that I want you to go in search of Arnold’s
encampment.”
Dick’s face lighted up. This was just the kind of work he liked. He had
done much of scouting and spying for General Washington, and he was
always glad to be sent on work of this kind.
“I shall be glad to go and search for Arnold’s encampment, sir,” he
said. “When shall I start?”
“As soon as you can get ready. I am eager to get Arnold located. Then I
can begin my campaign against him.”
“I will start at once, sir. Have you any instructions to give?”
“None, except to say, find Arnold.”
“Very well, sir. If there is nothing else you wish to say, I will go.”
“That is all, Dick. Find Arnold, and then report to me as quickly as
possible.”
“I will do my best, sir.” Then Dick saluted and withdrew, and hastened
back to the point where his comrades were. The moment they caught sight
of his glowing face, they uttered exclamations.
“You are going in search of Arnold’s army, I’ll wager!” exclaimed Tom.
“Yah, dot is vot he is goin’ to do,” nodded Fritz.
“Av coorse,” said Tim. “He’s the bye thot can foind Arnold, av innywan
can.”
“Yes, I’m going in search of Arnold’s army,” said Dick.
“Say, I’m going with you,” said Tom, decidedly.
“And so am I,” said Ben.
“The three of us can spread out and cover a lot more ground than one
person can,” said Tom. “We’re going with you, Dick.”
Dick looked at them thoughtfully. “I guess you are right about that,” he
said, presently. “Yes, I’ll take you two chaps along.”
“Say, why not take Dootchy an’ mesilf wid ye, Dick?” exclaimed Tim, who
would have liked immensely to have gone with the three youths.
“That would be too many, Tim,” was the reply. “No, just Tom, Ben and
myself will go.”
Dick went and reported to Captain Morgan, and was granted permission to
take Tom and Ben with him, and a few minutes later the three left the
encampment, followed by wishes for good luck from their comrades. They
set out in the direction that they thought might lead toward the
encampment of Arnold.
They walked at a moderate pace, and kept a sharp lookout around them,
for they did not know but they might happen upon redcoats anywhere. And
there might be parties of Tories in that part of the country.
They kept onward till noon, however, and had not seen any redcoats. They
had seen only three houses in that time, and although they made
inquiries at the houses, they did not learn of the presence anywhere in
that part of the country of the British.
They ate a cold bite for luncheon, and then rested a while, and
discussed the matter that had brought them into the wilderness, trying
to figure out which direction was most likely to lead them to Arnold,
and finally they got up and set out again.
They kept on going till about the middle of the afternoon, and then they
came to the top of a ridge. It was covered with trees--in fact, they had
been traveling through the timber pretty much ever since leaving
camp--and here they paused, looking down the slope at the other side of
the ridge.
At first, they saw nothing unusual, then suddenly an exclamation escaped
the lips of Dick, and pointing his finger, he said in a low voice: “See
yonder, boys.”
Tom and Ben looked in the direction indicated, and Tom said, excitedly:
“Sure as living, a party of redcoats!”
“Yes,” said Dick. “Be careful, boys, and don’t let them see you. Get
slowly behind trees.”
They took up their stations as suggested, and after a few minutes Dick
said: “I’m going to slip down there, get within hearing distance of
those fellows, if I can, and learn what they are doing here.”
“Look out that they don’t see and capture you, Dick,” cautioned Tom.
“I’ll be careful,” was the reply. Then, telling the two to remain there,
Dick set out on his perilous expedition.
He was careful to keep trees between himself and the redcoats, and as he
was skilled at this kind of work, he managed to reach a point within
hearing distance of the redcoats as they sat talking, then stationed
behind a tree, Dick stood there, listening intently.
As it turned out, he was well repaid for the danger he had run in coming
there, for he heard the British soldiers talking of how they were going
to visit a settlement made up mostly of patriots, as soon as it was
dark, plunder the homes of the settlers, and then burn the houses down.
It was a cold-blooded plan, and Dick shuddered as he listened, but at
the same time he made up his mind to hasten to the settlement, warn the
settlers, and thus enable them to either prepare to defend themselves,
or take their leave before the redcoats put in an appearance.
Dick was on the point of slipping away, when he saw a couple of redcoats
leave the group and come slowly toward the very tree behind which he was
standing.
His blood suddenly seemed to congeal, for he realized that he was in
great danger of discovery and capture.