The door was opened, presently, and a woman of middle age stood on the
threshold.
“Good evening, ma’am,” said Dick, bowing. “Myself and comrades would
like to get something to eat, if you have any food to spare. We will pay
for the food.”
“Come right in,” was the cordial reply. “There is plenty of food in the
house and you will be welcome to all you can eat. Come in.”
The youths entered, and the woman led the way to the kitchen, along a
hall, past the room in which the young people were dancing. Here she
invited the youths to be seated, and began placing food on a table.
“You don’t belong in these parts, do you?” she asked, looking with some
show of curiosity at the youths.
“No, ma’am,” replied Dick. And then he asked, somewhat hesitatingly: “Is
this--are the people around here, loyal to the king, or are they
inclined to be patriotic?”
The woman looked at Dick rather sharply, and then after hesitating
slightly, she said: “Well, I don’t know just what to say, young man. You
see, General Arnold has an army of British soldiers about twenty miles
from here, and some of his soldiers have even come this far and done
some plunderin’ of patriot settlers, and--well, mebby it wouldn’t be
best to say whether we are patriots or Tories. I don’t know whether you
are patriots or not, either,” with another searching glance.
Dick shrewdly guessed, from her words and actions, that she was a
patriot, and so he said: “We are patriots, ma’am, so you needn’t be
afraid to say you are a patriot.”
“I’m glad of that,” with a relieved air. “What are your names, and where
do you live?”
Dick told her their names, and said that they were soldiers, belonging
with a regiment of patriot soldiers that was in that part of the
country, having come there recently from the North.
“Well, I’m glad there is a patriot army in this part of the country
too,” said the woman. “Maybe they will be able to put a stop to the
plundering and burning of the homes of the patriot settlers around
here.”
“I think that we shall be able to do so,” said Dick.
The food was on the table by this time, and the three youths needed no
further invitation to move up their chairs and to eat heartily of the
good things provided. The woman stood near, waiting on them, and talking
eagerly. She asked many questions about the patriot army, and asked if
the youths thought the patriot people of America would win their
independence. And Dick told her he thought they would. “Washington is a
great general,” said Dick, “and I believe he will bring about the defeat
of the British before many months have passed.”
“I hope so,” said the woman.
While the youths were eating, a pretty girl of perhaps seventeen or
eighteen years entered the room, and she looked surprised when she saw
the three strangers. The woman motioned to her to come nearer, and then
she said to the youths: “This is my daughter, Sally Hart. Sally, these
young men are Dick and Tom Dare and Ben Foster.” She indicated each as
she spoke their names, and the girl bowed to each, and the youths
saluted in return.
“They are patriot soldiers, Sally,” said the woman. “They belong with a
patriot army that has just come down here from the North, and now Arnold
and his redcoats will have to be careful or they will get into trouble.”
“I am glad of that,” said Sally, smiling. “And I am glad to make the
acquaintance of you young men.”
The youths assured her that the pleasure was mutual, and then she asked
a few questions about the patriot army, after which she invited the
three to spend the evening there and take part in the dancing.
“We shall be very glad to have you stay,” she said. “Most all that are
here are patriots, so they will be glad to make your acquaintance. Stay
and dance, and later on we will have a big supper.”
“I don’t feel as if I would want any more food to-night,” said Dick,
smiling. “And indeed I feel almost too full to move. But perhaps a
little later I shall be able to dance a little.”
“Oh, you will be able to eat another supper by the time it is ready,”
said Sally, smiling.
“Well, perhaps so. Thank you for the kind invitation, Miss Hart.”
“It will be a pleasure for us to have you spend the evening with us,”
said the girl. “When you are ready, we will go into the other room, and
I will introduce you to the young folks.”
The youths soon finished eating, and were ready to accompany the girl,
and as soon as they were in the other room, where they were quickly the
objects of surprised scrutiny from all present, Sally introduced them,
and explained briefly how they happened to be present.
They were given a cordial welcome by the young people, the girls bowing
to them, and the youths stepping up and shaking hands with them in a
hearty manner.
Dick, Tom and Ben were feeling quite at home in a few minutes, and when
the musician struck up a tune on his violin a few minutes later, they
were ready to dance, having invited a partner from among their new
friends. They were quickly out on the floor, taking part in the dancing.
Dick and Sally at the outset were partners. He found her a good dancer,
and a pleasant companion as well. They talked and laughed as they
whirled about the room, and were soon very well acquainted indeed.
The three patriot youths danced every set after that, and enjoyed
themselves hugely, but when they had been there an hour or so, there
came an interruption: The front door was suddenly thrown open and into
the room strode ten British soldiers.
“What’s going on here?” cried one, who wore the uniform of a sergeant.
“You young people seem to be enjoying yourselves greatly, and that’s a
fact.”
Dick, Tom and Ben were naturally somewhat dismayed, for they thought
possibly the British soldiers had seen them as they were coming away
from the vicinity of their encampment, and had followed with the
intention of capturing them.
As the redcoats did not take any particular notice of the three,
however, they decided that they were mistaken in their supposition, and
that the British soldiers had just happened in at the settlement, the
same as had been the case with them. Dick, Tom and Ben had on citizen’s
clothing, so there was nothing to make the redcoats suspect them of
being patriot soldiers. Doubtless the British intruders supposed the
three to be residents of the settlement, the same as the other youths
present. Having come to this conclusion the three patriot youths
breathed more freely, and the feeling of dismay left them.
The soldiers insisted that they liked to dance, and so the music was
started up again, and soon the dance was going merrily on, with the
redcoats almost monopolizing the floor. The next set, however, only five
of the redcoats danced, the others looking on, and Dick, who was
dancing, saw one of the youths, Ralph Hicks, whisper something to the
sergeant, after which the two left the room together. Dick’s suspicions
were aroused at once, for Sally had given Dick to understand that Hicks
was her “fellow,” as she put it. As Dick had danced with Sally several
times, and had seen Hicks regarding him with a jealous frown on his
face, the youth reached the conclusion that Hicks was going to tell the
sergeant that there were three patriot soldiers in the house. Sally had
stated that Hicks was the son of a loyalist, and this made Dick all the
more suspicious. He would not stop dancing, however, for he thought it
possible he might be mistaken in his suspicions, and he did not want to
let the redcoats suspect that he feared capture.
He made up his mind to warn Tom and Ben, however, but just as the set
was finished and Dick was leading his partner to a seat, Hicks and the
sergeant reentered. The officer hastened to whisper something to each of
the redcoats, and as Dick turned away, after seating his partner, he
found himself confronted by the sergeant and another soldier, each with
a pistol leveled at his head. A brief glance toward Tom and Ben showed
Dick that they were threatened in the same manner.
“Surrender, you rebel!” cried the sergeant. “We arrest you, Dick Dare,
in the name of the king!”