Presently the settlers lay down and as a result of their weariness, they
were soon asleep. They felt safe, as there were men on guard at the
point where the path reached the island, and knew the British could not
reach the island without being seen.
Next morning the subject of what should be done was taken up, and the
men discussed the matter thoroughly, but could not come to any decision.
Dick Dare and his two comrades had not had much to say, as they
considered themselves outsiders, but when the settlers had talked an
hour or so and had not come to any decision, Dick, who had been doing
considerable thinking, rose and walked along the shore of the island,
peering up into the trees that extended away across the swamp. Then he
came back, and said to Mr. Williams: “How far is it to the mainland, in
that direction,” pointing toward the north. The path by which they had
come connected with the island on the east side.
“About a mile, I should judge,” replied Mr. Williams. “Why?”
“I have a plan which I think may work,” was the reply. “I notice that
the trees in the swamp are rather close together, and the limbs
intermingle. I believe that I can reach the shore by climbing from one
treetop to another. What do you think?”
“It might be possible to do that,” was the reply. “An active young
fellow like you might do it. If you should happen to fall into the bog,
however, it would likely be the last that would ever be heard of you, as
it is like quicksand, and sucks its victims down out of sight.”
“Well, I believe I will try it, anyhow. If I can reach the mainland, I
can go to the encampment of our army and get some of the soldiers to
come and drive the redcoats away, or, better still, capture them.”
“That would be splendid, if you could accomplish it,” said the settler.
“I think it worth trying,” said Dick, confidently. “I am a good climber,
and believe that I can make my way from one tree to another, and thus
reach the shore.”
“I’ll bet that I could, too,” said Tom, eagerly. “You stay here and let
me go, Dick.”
But Dick shook his head. “I am older and stronger than you, Tom,” he
said, “and as it will be a hard job working one’s way to the mainland, I
prefer to make the attempt. You and Ben will stay here.”
“All right, just as you say.”
“I’ll start immediately,” determined Dick.
“You had better take some food with you,” suggested Mr. Williams. “You
will find your task a hard one and you may have to go two or three miles
in order to reach the shore, for you will have to work your way wherever
the trees are thickest.”
“True, sir,” said Dick.
He tied up a package of food, and fastened it on his shoulder by a piece
of leather string, and then, after talking to Tom and Ben a few moments,
he said good-by to all the folks. Stepping to a tree that grew right at
the edge of the island, climbed it, till high enough up so that the
limbs were of good size and extending to those of another tree out in
the swamp, and then he worked his way across into the other tree.
“Good for you,” congratulated Mr. Williams.
“That’s the way to do it, Dick,” cried Tom.
“It is going to be slow work,” replied Dick. “But I think I can reach
the mainland by noon, anyway.”
Then Dick managed to get across to another tree still farther away from
the island, and here he paused a few moments, to get his breath.
He talked to the settlers on the island while resting, then again began
work, and by a strenuous effort succeeded in getting to another tree.
From this one he reached another. Here he paused and rested again a few
moments, after which he started again, and got into another tree, but
one that was no farther from the island, but from that one he could
reach another tree that was farther away.
“It’s work that takes muscle,” said Dick, stopping to breathe a few
moments. “But thank goodness I have plenty of muscle.”
Then he began work again, and was soon in a tree that stood nearly fifty
yards from the island.
Here he paused a few moments, and then set out again. When an hour had
passed, he was at least a hundred yards from the island.
“Pretty tired?” called Mr. Williams.
“Oh, not so very,” was the reply. “I’ll get to the mainland, all right.”
“I sincerely hope so,” was the reply.
On went Dick, picking his way along the tree branches, and he gradually
worked his way well out into the swamp. Presently he could not see the
people on the island at all. And they, not being able to see him, and
fearing that their voices might carry to the redcoats on the east shore,
if they yelled too loudly, stopped calling to the youth who was working
so hard to get to the mainland, in order to go and get the patriot
soldiers and effect their rescue.
The work Dick was engaged in was strenuous to say the least. It was very
trying to his muscles, but he was strong and had good staying qualities,
and he kept at it, pausing once in a while to breathe a few moments and
rest his tired muscles.
Slowly he worked his way out, through the tops of the trees, his life in
danger, for if he were to slip and fall, he would sink deep into the
quagmire, likely, and the chances were that he would be pulled down by
the quicksand and smothered to death in the bog.
Dick did not stop to think of this, however. His mind was on his work,
and he kept on, gradually shortening the distance to the mainland.
When he had been thus employed perhaps three hours, however, he came to
a point from which it seemed impossible to reach another treetop. He
paused and stood on a limb and gazed about him, keenly and searchingly.
Should he go back and try some other direction?
Finally he decided that by climbing out on a limb that extended upward
and outward from the tree he was in, and bending the end down, he might
succeed in springing across from that limb to one on the nearest tree.
He at once put this into effect, and climbing up the limb in question
till he was near the end, he threw his weight in such a manner that the
limb was bent down almost to the breaking point. Still he found himself
to be fully three feet from the limb on the other next nearest tree.
Now just by the force from his arms, must he throw his body across that
distance, and more, for he must needs grasp the other limb at a point
where it was sizable enough to bear his weight. He would make the
attempt, anyway, for if he could get across this open space, the trees
were close together beyond, and he would not have much difficulty in
continuing the trip to the mainland.
So he began swaying his body back and forth, like a pendulum, till he
got it swinging at a lively rate, and then he suddenly hurled himself
through the air, letting go of the limb at the same moment, and making
an effort to grasp the limb on the other tree.
He did get hold of the limb, but at a point too near the end, and the
limb, being too small, slipped through his fingers and down he shot,
striking the quagmire with a thud, and sinking to his knees.
An exclamation of dismay escaped Dick’s lips. He looked around him, for
something to get hold of to stay his sinking into the bog, but there was
nothing within reach that he could catch hold of. Not even a clump of
bushes was near. He was in an open space perhaps thirty feet square, and
there was no tree closer than twenty feet.
Dick then began trying to pull his legs out of the bog, but found he
could not do so. The harder he worked, the faster he seemed to sink into
the quagmire, and after a few moments of strenuous effort, in which he
failed to loosen either limb, but in fact found each leg deeper in the
bog, he desisted. His face perspiring profusely, he stood there panting
for breath as a result of his strenuous exertions, and gazed about him,
hoping to see some means by which he might extricate himself from the
dangerous predicament in which he had fallen.
But there was nothing that seemed to offer any promise of assistance,
and he began struggling again, only to desist after a few moments,
realizing how foolish was the attempt, for every effort he put forth
only served to sink him deeper in the boggy quicksand.
Down he sank, slowly and gradually, till he was up to his waist in the
relentless and encompassing sands. Then, realizing that he was unable to
extricate himself, Dick, because of his utterly helpless situation, gave
vent to a despairing cry and called loudly for help.
Again and again he called, but there came no response. All remained
quiet around him. There was no sign or likelihood of assistance from any
source. And by now he had sunk till he was halfway from his waist to his
armpits. He was held as if by giant hands, and he realized that he could
not escape without assistance--and help was certainly not forthcoming.
[Illustration: He was held as if by giant hands.]
Dick Dare had been in lots of tight places in his life, but never had he
been in the danger that threatened him now. He felt that he was doomed,
that he would go to a terrible, horrible death, there beneath the
smothering slime of the boggy quicksand. He thought of the loved ones at
home, of his brother, his comrades, and the great Cause for which he was
to offer up his young life. Now he was to be blotted out and no one
would ever know the awful nature of his death.