Dick Does Wonderful Work
Dick Dare had been afraid that General Percy might connect him with
Tom, and suspect that they were in the neighborhood together, but such
a thought evidently did not come to the commander, for happily he
seemed to dismiss the matter from his mind when the soldiers departed
with the boy. He again busied himself with some writing.
When Dick noted this, he breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been
bad indeed had he been then suspected and made a prisoner, the same as
had been the case with Tom. With them both in the old prison-hulk,
escape would have been difficult, in fact well-nigh impossible, but
with Dick free to work from the outside, it was different. The youth
believed that he might be able to rescue his brother and the other
prisoners in the prison-ship, and he was fully decided to make the
attempt that very night.
The afternoon dragged slowly along. Dick could hardly wait for
nightfall, for he was eager to get to work. He thought the afternoon
never would end.
But it did, at last, and after he had eaten supper, he began mentally
reviewing the task that lay before him. The first thing to do would be
to get away from the encampment, and he decided to do this at once. He
had laid his plans, and going to the colonel, he asked permission to
take a walk.
"I am not used to camplife, sir," he said; "and I feel the need of a
little exercise. If not contrary to the rules, I would like to take a
walk of a mile or so in the country."
"I guess it will be all right," was the reply. "Go ahead, but don't
stay too long."
"I won't, sir. Thank you."
Dick walked boldly out of the encampment, and in order to disarm
suspicion, in case his action should occasion comment, he went toward
the east. To have started north might have aroused suspicion that he
was heading for New York.
"Where away, comrade?" queried the sentinel at the east side of the
encampment.
"Oh, out for a little walk for exercise," replied Dick, carelessly.
"All right. The Countersign is `The King Rules'."
"Thank you," said Dick. "I'll not forget."
He walked slowly on, as if merely taking a leisurely stroll, but as
soon as he was out of sight of the sentinel and others, he changed to
a swift pace, and turning, headed toward the prison-ships in the bay.
"Now for business!" he murmured, grimly. "I'll have the patriot
prisoners out of that old hulk before many hours, or I'll know the
reason why!"
He hastened onward, but paused frequently and listened intently. He
did not want to meet any force of British soldiers then for it would
have been awkward work explaining his presence.
He was fortunate, however, in that he did not encounter any redcoats,
and in considerably less than an hour he was at the shore, near where
the prison-ships were anchored.
"Now the next thing is to get aboard the hulk," was Dick's thought.
This would be difficult, for the reason that there was a sentinel on
the deck. To reach the hulk and climb aboard without being seen by
this sentinel was a task that would be hard to accomplish. But Dick
did not hesitate. He was brave, and eager to rescue his brother and
the other patriot spies and soldiers, and so he located an old boat,
got in, and then pulled slowly and carefully toward the prison-ship,
which could be faintly seen looming up a couple of hundred yards
distant on the water.
Dick felt that the chances were that the sentinel would have his
attention directed toward the shore, and so he made a half-circuit and
approached from the other side. He rowed slowly and cautiously, making
scarcely any noise at all, and was successful in reaching the hulk
without having been discovered. Dick had rightly guessed that the
sentinel was at the other side, doubtless keeping a lookout shoreward.
Dick felt around in the boat, and found a rope-ladder, with hooks on
one end, and with the aid of a boathook, he managed to get the hooks
caught over the ship's rail. This accomplished, he stood there and
listened intently. He feared he might have been heard by the sentinel.
Such did not seem to be the case, however, for all was quiet aboard,
and presently the youth began making his way slowly and cautiously up
the ladder. He kept on till his head was even with the top of the
rail, and then he gazed about, trying to locate the sentinel. It was
so dark, however, that he could not see the redcoat, and feeling that
the coast was reasonably clear, Dick climbed on up, and over the rail,
and a moment later stood on the deck.
So far all was well. He had escaped from the British encampment, had
reached the prison-hulk, and was on board. Now to overpower the
sentinel and rescue the prisoners.
The youth paused only long enough to tie the boat's painter to the
rail, and then he slowly and cautiously made his way along the deck,
going toward the bow. He reached the end of the cabin, moved quietly
around it, and then started in the other direction. He went with still
greater caution now, for he realized that at any moment he might come
upon the British sentinel.
Dick knew that there were two soldiers on board all the time, and that
they took turns at standing guard, so one would be on deck and the
other would likely be in the cabin asleep. To capture the one guard,
without making a noise that would be heard by the other would be a
difficult matter, but Dick was not the kind of youth to be dismayed by
difficulties. Their presence only made him the more determined.
He advanced carefully, and suddenly he caught sight of a shadowy form
a few feet ahead of him. It was the sentinel, undoubtedly, and luckily
for Dick, the redcoat's back was partially toward him, and the soldier
was gazing in almost the opposite direction from that in which Dick
was approaching.
The youth, after a keen survey of the form, decided that the redcoat's
back was toward him, and so advanced a couple of steps, as silently as
a shadow. He was now close upon the man, and reaching out suddenly, he
grasped the fellow by the throat with both hands, and raising his knee
quickly, struck the soldier in the small of the back, and threw him
with a twisting motion to the deck; then dropping upon the fallen man,
Dick compressed his windpipe, gripping it with all his might.
Although but eighteen years of age, Dick Dare was stronger than the
majority of men. He was naturally powerful, and his life on the farm
had been such as to develop his strength and endurance, and so it
happened that he was easily more than a match for the British soldier.
The fact that this fellow had been taken completely by surprise worked
to his disadvantage, too, and although he struggled hard, he was
unable to do anything, and the gripping fingers, compressing his
windpipe like bands of steel, gradually weakened him, for he was
unable to get his breath. Neither could he cry out, and the result was
that in about three minutes from the time Dick had seized the redcoat,
the fellow was lying unconsciously on the deck-choked into
insensibility.
Feeling confident the sentinel would remain unconscious some time,
Dick left the form lying there, and entered the cabin in search of the
other soldier. A snore sounding from a stateroom at one side guided
the youth, so he entered the compartment, and seizing this redcoat by
the throat, as he had the other, Dick quickly choked him into limp
insensibility. This accomplished, he went out on deck, dragged the
other redcoat into the cabin, and into the stateroom. Closing the
door, he locked them in.
"I don't think they will be able to get out of there, even if they
regain consciousness before I get to the prisoners," thought Dick.
Then he went out on deck again and hunted around till he found the
hatchway. Removing the covering, he looked down into the hold, but
could see nothing, the darkness there being even greater than on the
deck.
"Hello, down there!" he called. "Are you there, Tom!"
"Dick! Oh, is it really you?" came the reply, in the excited voice of
Tom Dare.
"Yes, it is I," was the reply. "How many are there with you, Tom? Is
father there?"
"No, Dick, father isn't here. Come down and free us, quick!" eagerly.
"There are twelve of us here, it is a terrible place,-slimy and
foul-smelling, and there are rats, insects and worms, ugh!"
"Climb up the ladder," instructed Dick. "Surely you are not bound."
"Our hands are tied. That's what I meant by telling you to come down
and free us, Dick."
"I'll be with you in moment, Tom."
Dick hastened down the ladder, and was soon standing beside Tom, who
had scrambled to his feet. He quickly cut the rope binding his
brother's wrists, and then asked where the other prisoners were.
"Here," replied a hoarse voice. "We are right at hand, Dick Dare, and
glad to welcome you. Your brother has told us about you, and we have
been hoping you would succeed in freeing us, though we feared you
might not be able to do so. But you seem to have succeeded, thank God!
I am Joseph Boswick," he continued, "one of the spies sent down here
by General Washington to secure information regarding the British.
There are three more spies, and seven patriot soldiers and all of us
are eager to get out of this terrible hole, as you may well believe."
"I can easily believe it, Mr. Boswick, and I'll have your hands free
in a jiffy, and then you can climb the ladder to the deck, and we will
go ashore in the boat. The two British guards are insensible, and
locked in a stateroom."
"You are a wonder, Dare!" said Boswick, admiration in his tone. "Well,
cut our bonds quickly and we'll try to get out of here."
This was speedily done, and a few minutes later the entire party was
on the deck. To climb down into the boat was a simple matter, but it
had only just been accomplished when there came the noise of oars in
rowlocks, from the other side of the hulk, followed by the sound of
voices.
"Some redcoats have come off to the ship, from the shore!" whispered
Dick, to Boswick. "We must get away from here in a hurry, for your
escape will be discovered very quickly!"