The girls uttered cries of fear and ran into the other room. The young
men stood their ground, but made no move to interfere. Doubtless they
sympathized with the three youths--with the exception of Ralph
Hicks--but did not feel like trying to fight ten British soldiers, for
the sake of the three almost strangers.
Dick Dare realized that it would be foolish to try to resist or attempt
an escape. The redcoats were within arm’s-length of them, armed with
pistols, and to try to get away would be to get bullets in their bodies
before they were out of the room.
So he said: “We surrender. Don’t shoot,” and the sergeant nodded and
said:
“That’s sensible. Turn your backs to us and place your hands behind
you.”
The patriot youths obeyed, and the redcoats quickly bound their wrists
with cord that was brought to them by Mr. Hart, the man of the house, at
their command. It was easy to see that he did not like this, but the
redcoats were strong enough so that they could do as they wished, and
protest would avail nothing.
The three prisoners were placed in the kitchen, in one corner, and the
sergeant confronted them, saying: “So you rebels are down here from the
North with an army, are you?”
“Yes,” replied Dick, quietly.
“What do you think you are going to do?”
“We are going to make it warm for Arnold and his troops,” said Dick.
The sergeant smiled sarcastically. “I don’t think _you_ will have much
to do with it,” he said. “You are going with us to our camp, when we
leave here, and to-morrow we will rejoin the main army, and Arnold will
likely string you up to a tree, as I have heard him speak of you as
being a rebel spy.”
“You haven’t got us to this encampment yet,” said Dick, calmly.
“Bah. How came you to be here to-night?”
“That is our business.”
“You won’t answer, eh?”
“No.”
“All right. It don’t make any difference, anyway. We’ve got you, now, so
you can’t do whatever you had the intention of doing. I judge that
likely you were searching for Arnold’s encampment.”
“Oh, possibly.”
“Well, you won’t have to search any longer. We’ll see that you get
there, to-morrow--and that you stay a while, my fine young rebel.”
“Thanks,” said Dick, sarcastically.
Then the sergeant placed a redcoat on guard, to see that the prisoners
made no attempt to escape, after which he returned to the front room,
and the dancing was started up again, and went on with seeming
merriment. But the fact was, that the young people were not enjoying
themselves as much as had been the case before the advent of the
redcoats.
Sally Hart was a bright, shrewd girl. She had noted the fact that Ralph
Hicks and the sergeant had left the room together a while before the
three patriot youths were made prisoners, and she guessed that Hicks had
told the sergeant that the three youths were patriot soldiers. She
summoned Hicks to her side, and whispered to him that she wanted him to
come out of doors with her, that she had something to say to him
privately, and he followed her out.
When they were a short distance from the house, Sally turned and said,
somewhat sternly: “Ralph, why did you tell that sergeant that the Dare
Boys and Ben Foster were patriot soldiers, and cause them to be made
prisoners?”
“I--why, Sally, I didn’t--”
“Ralph Hicks, you know you did tell him!” interrupted Sally. “And, now,
why did you do it?”
“Well, Sally,” was the reply, in a desperate tone, “if you must know, I
did it because you--because, well, you seemed to like Dick Dare, that’s
why. You danced with him four or five times, and I didn’t get to dance
with you once.”
“So that is the reason!” There was anger and scorn in the girl’s voice.
“I danced with Dick Dare several times because he is a good dancer, and
because he is a stranger, and our guest. And you had to go and get
jealous and hand him over to the redcoats. Ralph Hicks, I have a good
mind to never speak to you again!”
“I’m sorry, Sally,” said Hicks. “I--well, I was kind of mad at Dick
Dare, and--and, yes, jealous of him. I wish you were not angry with me,
Sally.”
“I am angry, Ralph,” was the grim reply. “And there is just one way that
you can get me over my angry feeling toward you.”
“How is that, Sally?” eagerly.
“By securing the freedom of Dick and Tom Dare and Ben Foster.”
Hicks was silent a few moments, and then said: “I can’t do that, Sally.
The redcoats have the three prisoners, and how could I get them out of
their hands?”
“I don’t know, that’s your problem, but if you want me to ever speak to
you, after to-night, you must get those three young men free. You were
the cause of their being made prisoners, and it is your place to rescue
them.”
“But, how will I do it, Sally?”
“I don’t know, I’m sure.”
“If you will help me,” said Hicks, presently, after a period of
pondering, “perhaps I might manage it.”
“What could I do?”
“I’ll tell you. You have some mighty fine cider in the cellar, haven’t
you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ll get a bottle of the cider, and will be out here with it, and
you tell the soldier that is guarding the prisoners that if he will step
out of doors, I will give him some cider. And when he comes out, you cut
the ropes and free the prisoners, and they can rush out, knock the
redcoat over and make their escape.”
“But, won’t the redcoat wonder why the cider isn’t brought into the room
and given to him there?”
“Tell him there is only one bottle, and that the other soldiers would
want some of it, too, if they saw him drinking.”
“Very well,” said Sally, after a few moments of silence, “we will try
that plan. Go down into the cellar and get a bottle of the cider.”
“And--Sally.”
“Well?”
“If we succeed in setting the prisoners free, you’ll--you won’t be angry
with me, will you?”
“I’ll see about it, Ralph. Now, go and get the cider.”
Hicks said, “All right,” and then lifted the cellar-door and made his
way down into the cellar. He got a bottle of the cider, and when he got
back up, and had closed the cellar-door, the redcoat was just emerging
from the kitchen.
“Here,” said Hicks, his voice trembling slightly. “Here is the cider.”
“All right, young man, and thank you,” said the redcoat. He stepped to
Hicks’ side, and took the bottle, and placed it to his mouth.
A few moments later the door of the kitchen opened again, and Dick and
Tom Dare and Ben Foster leaped forth. The redcoat heard them and started
to turn around, but Dick Dare, who was in the lead, sprang upon the
British soldier with all his force, and the redcoat was hurled sprawling
to the earth, the bottle flying from his hand.
[Illustration: The red coat was hurled sprawling.]
Then the three youths dashed away, into the edge of the timber at the
rear of the house.
The redcoat was not injured, excepting that he had been jarred by
falling, and he scrambled to his feet, caught sight of the youths
running, and jerking out a pistol, he fired a shot after the fugitives,
and yelled loudly:
“Quick, comrades! The prisoners have escaped!”