Soon after Dick, Tom and Ben left the patriot encampment, to go in
search of the British army under General Arnold, Tim and Fritz got to
discussing the matter, and they decided that they could do some good
work in that line also.
“Vy can’t ve go und make un efford to find der retgoads, Tim?” was
Fritz’s query.
“Sure an’ there’s no reason why we can’t, Dootchy,” said Tim. “An’ it’s
mesilf has a good moind to go an’ ask the captain to let us go an’ look
fur the ridcoats.”
“Yah, go und ask him, Tim,” urged Fritz, eagerly. “I vould lige to go on
such a trip as dot, und verily dot is so.”
So Tim, thus backed up, asked Captain Morgan to let him and Fritz go in
search of the encampment of the redcoats.
“Why, the Dare boys and Ben Foster have just gone to do that,” said the
captain.
“Yis, but there is no tellin’ what direction to go to foind the
ridcoats, captain,” said Tim, “an’ we can go a different directions an’
mebby will foind the encampment av the inimy before the other byes do.”
“Oh, well, you may go, then,” laughed the captain, “but be careful, and
don’t get captured yourself.”
“We’ll be careful, captain, sure an’ we will.”
“Very well.”
Tim thanked the captain, hastened back and reported his success to
Fritz, who was delighted. They made prompt preparations, and a few
minutes later they set out.
They started in a different direction from that taken by the boys, but
Tim and Fritz were not very good at woodcraft, and gradually their
course was changed, till finally unwittingly they were following almost
in the steps of the three youths. They supposed, agreeable to their
proposal, that they were going in an entirely different direction.
Thus it happened that Tim and Fritz came to the top of the ridge, from
which the three youths had seen the camp of the party of redcoats, and
reaching there about an hour after the youths had left. They stopped to
rest, and soon caught sight of the redcoats, in the same manner as the
youths had done.
They were greatly excited at once. “Sure an’ we’ve found thim alriddy!”
exclaimed Tim.
“Yah, dot is so,” agreed Fritz. “But dere are not many dere, Tim. Dis is
not der big encampment.”
“Ye are roight, Fritz. This is a small party thot is out on a foraging
expedition, loikely.”
“Ve must sby on dem, Tim, und find ouid vot dey are doin’ here,” said
Fritz.
“Roight ye are, me bye. An’ it’s Tim Murphy can do thot worruk, sure an’
it is.”
“Ah righd. You go und do dot vork, Tim. I vill sday here und be ready to
gome to your assistance if you ged into drubble, already.”
“Thot’s all roight. Here Oi go, Fritz.”
Then Tim moved slowly and cautiously forward, heading for the encampment
of the redcoats.
He was not so skillful at this kind of work as was Dick Dare, but he did
pretty well in this instance, and by going very slowly, he managed to
get over the ground without making much noise.
Closer and closer crept Tim, and finally he came to a stop behind a tree
about fifty yards from the encampment. He could hear what the redcoats
said, but they were talking about matters of no particular interest, and
Tim did not learn of their intention of plundering and burning the
patriot settlement.
Tim saw that there was only a small party of the redcoats, and realizing
that this was only a detachment from Arnold’s army, he decided to return
to where he had left Fritz, and they would go on their way and try to
find the main encampment.
So he turned and slipped back in the direction from which he had come,
and when he neared the top of the ridge and looked for his comrade, he
greatly to his surprise did not see him. Tim supposed Fritz was seated
behind a tree, however, and thought nothing of it, but when he reached
the point where he had left the Dutch youth, sure as fate Fritz was not
there.
Tim looked all around, in surprise. Nowhere could he see Fritz. Glancing
toward the redcoat camp, and deciding that they would not hear him, he
sounded a signal that they often used to notify one of the other’s
whereabouts.
Then he listened, but did not hear any reply. Again he gave the signal,
with the same result.
“Where has Dootchy gone, Oi wondther,” muttered Tim, scratching his
head. “Sure, an’ he’s so big thot av he was innywheres aroun’ here Oi
ought to be able to see him.”
He looked in all directions, carefully, searchingly, but Fritz was not
to be seen, which was very puzzling, and Tim did not understand it at
all.
“Thot does bate all,” murmured Tim. “What shall Oi do? Shall Oi stay
here, or go in search av him?”
This was a problem, and Tim sat down, the better to figure it out.
He was sitting there, his back against a tree, trying to determine where
Fritz could be, when suddenly there was a rustling and scratching sound
above him, and then something hit him on the head and shoulders,
knocking him to the ground and almost stunning him.
Nevertheless Tim scrambled up hastily, and was greatly amazed to see his
comrade, Fritz, lying on his back on the ground a few yards distant,
blinking up at the sky as if dazed. An exclamation of anger and
amazement escaped the Irish soldier’s lips.
“Fritz, ye Dutch rascal, ye, where did ye drop from, innyhow?” he cried.
Fritz blinked a few more times, and then slowly rose to a sitting
posture, looked at Tim, grinned somewhat sheepishly, and then said:
“From der dreetop, Tim.”
“Oh, ye fell out av the tree, did ye?” the Irish soldier remarked.
“Yah,” nodded the Dutchman. “I vos glimbin’ down, alretty, an’ my hold
slipped und down I fell kerthump.”
“I should say ye did. Ye fell kerthump on top av me head, sure an’ ye
did. Why didn’t ye tell me ye was comin’?”
“I didn’t think uf dot, Tim,” was the reply. “Und I’m sorriness dot I
bumped you.”
“What was ye doin’ up in the tree?”
“I vos loogin’ around. I thought dot I mighd see der big camp uf der
retgoads.”
“Well, did ye?”
Fritz shook his head. “No, I saw only der trees und timber,” he said.
“Well, what shall we do now? Go an’ look for the big camp of the
ridcoats?”
“Vot do you say to stayin’ und keepin’ watch on dese retgoads till after
dark, Tim?” said Fritz. “Maybe dey vill go to der big engampment, und
den ve gan follow dem.”
“Sure an’ thot’s a good oidea, Fritz. We’ll do thot.”