General Washington is Pleased
"We had better get to the shore at once," was the reply. "This boat is
so heavily loaded that it would be dangerous to try to go to New York
in it."
"Yes, and it is old and leaky, anyway. We'll go ashore and then head
for Brooklyn Heights."
Dick turned the oars and rowed cautiously toward the island. The boat
moved very slowly, for it was deep in the water, and rapid progress
was impossible.
The shore was reached presently, however, and at the same instant
there came out of the darkness excited yells from the direction of the
prison-ship.
"They've discovered your escape," said Dick. "Get ashore, men, as
quickly as possible."
The rescued patriots leaped ashore as fast as they could, and then
with Dick in the lead, they set out northward.
"By keeping over pretty close to the water, I think we shall be able
to keep clear of the redcoats," said Dick.
"Likely," agreed Tom. "We mustn't let them capture us now."
"I'll never go back to that terrible prison-pen alive!" declared
Boswick. "I would much rather die fighting."
"We'll get to the Heights and then over to New York in safety,"
assured Dick.
The excited voices of the British who had discovered the escape of the
prisoners could be heard for some time, but gradually grew fainter,
until at last no sound could be heard. The little party kept steadily
onward, and managed to get past the left end of the British army and
an hour or so later arrived at the patriot encampment on Brooklyn
Heights.
They paused there only long enough to rest a bit and apprise the
officer in command of their escape from the prison-ship, then they
went down to the shore and were taken across to the New York side in
boats.
They went direct to patriot headquarters, and were quickly ushered
into the presence of the commander-in-chief. When he saw Dick and Tom,
and also Boswick and the other spies and the patriot soldiers that had
been prisoners, his face lighted up with pleasure.
"You surely have succeeded well, Dare!" he exclaimed. "You have
rescued the patriot prisoners from the British prison-ship, and I hope
you have as well secured some important information."
"I have secured some information, your excellency," replied Dick. "And
I am pleased because I was able to free the patriots from the
prison-ship."
"You have done well, Dick-wonderfully well. I congratulate you, my
boy." Then he shook hands with Boswick and the other spies and the
soldiers and asked them about their experience in the prison-ship.
According to their words, the prison-ship was a terrible place, the
bottom of the hold being water-soaked and slimy, and infested by
myriads of insects and worms, which crawled over the prisoners'
bodies, stinging and biting them and almost driving them wild. There
were large and vicious rats also. The prisoners were thin and gaunt,
and it was evident that they had suffered indeed.
"You have had a very unpleasant experience, men," said the
commander-in-chief; "but now you are free and will soon be your old
selves again. Go to your quarters, get some food and then rest up and
regain your lost strength."
The soldiers obeyed, all going save Dick, who remained at the command
of General Washington. When the others had gone, he turned inquiringly
at Dick.
"What did you learn, my boy?" he queried. "Have you secured any
information of value?"
"I haven't secured a great deal of information, your excellency," was
the reply. "I learned the numerical strength of the British army, for
one thing."
"That is important. What is the number?"
"Twenty-five thousand."
A sober, thoughtful look settled over the face of the
commander-in-chief.
"That is about five thousand more than I figured on," he murmured.
"Well, I am glad to have knowledge of their strength, even though it
is greater than I had expected it to be."
"I learned also, that an attack on Brooklyn Heights, while a
probability at some future time, is not contemplated at an early
date."
"That is important also, Dick. Well, did you learn anything else?"
"Nothing else, sir. But, if you desire it, I will go back over onto
Long Island and will keep watch on the British and do my best to learn
of any intended move early enough to get the news to you, so that you
will have time to make a move that will check the enemy."
"We will wait a few days, Dick, and then I may send you again. I
congratulate you on the success of your first attempt at spying. You
did well, Dick, exceedingly well, and I shall doubtless make use of
you frequently in the future, if you care to undertake the work."
"I shall be glad to do so, your excellency. My only wish is to do all
in my power to aid the people of America to secure their independence,
and if I can be of value by doing spy-work, then I shall take pleasure
in doing it."
"That is the right spirit, my boy, and I shall call upon you whenever
I have work that I think you can do better than an older man could do
it."
Then he dismissed Dick, who saluted and withdrew, going to his
quarters.
He found Tom there, engaged in telling the story of his and Dick's
adventures over on Long Island, and Ben and the other soldiers were
listening eagerly, their eyes shining. They greeted Dick joyously.
"Say, I wish I had been with you two fellows, old man," said Ben
Foster. "You have got the bulge on the rest of us, and that isn't
fair. You have already encountered the redcoats and had adventures
with them, while the rest of us have had to stay cooped up here in the
city." Ben pretended to be vexed with Dick and Tom, but it was only
pretense.
"You boys will get all the adventure you want, one of these days, I
think," smiled Dick. "There is going to be a battle over on Long
Island sooner or later, and then you will get all the fighting you
want."
"Hurroo!" cried Tim Murphy, "shure an' thot is phwat we are afther
wantin', Oi dunno. It's all av us wull foight to the last gasp, sure
an' we wull."
"Yah, ve vill fighd lige eferyting," declared Fritz Schmockenburg. "Ve
are nod avraid uf der retgoads, und dot is so."
"How soon will the battle take place, Dick?" queried Ben Foster.
Dick shook his head.
"As to that I cannot say, Ben," he replied. "But it will come soon
enough, without doubt, for the British have twenty-five thousand
soldiers, while we have not more than eighteen thousand."
"That is pretty big odds," said Ben, with a shake of the head.
"So it is," agreed Dick. "But the patriots will give a good account of
themselves when the time comes, I feel certain."
"Yah, ve vill gif ein goot accound mit mysellufs," said Fritz, the
Dutch soldier.
"Just listen to thot, wull yez?" remarked Tim, scathingly. "Shure an'
there is agotism fur yez!"
"Well, I hope all of us will always give a good account of ourselves,"
said Dick, quietly. "And I believe we will."
"We'll try to, Dick," said Ben, earnestly.
A few days later General Washington again summoned Dick and told him
to go over on Long Island and see if he could learn anything regarding
the intentions of the British.
"You will have to be very careful, this time, however, Dick," he
cautioned; "for you are known to many of the British, and if they
should see you, they would capture you, and that would be bad."
"True, sir," said Dick. "I will be very careful. I will not let them
capture me, if I can help myself." Then, after receiving his
instructions, Dick saluted and withdrew.
After supper he set out, and crossing the East River, made his way in
the direction of the British encampment, which was about five miles
distant, to the southward. He did not need to go to Brooklyn Heights
to see General Putnam, for the reason that he now knew more about the
location of the enemy than Putnam did.
Dick did not walk rapidly, for he felt that it were better to proceed
with caution, for if he went too swiftly he could not exercise much
care, and the result might be unpleasant, as there was danger that he
might run into a party of British. By going slowly he could avoid this
danger.
Two hours from the time he crossed the East River, he was in the
vicinity of the British encampment, and he moved slowly around it,
trying to figure out some way to get where he could secure
information, but to no avail. He could not devise any means of doing
this. To enter the lines was out of the question, for there would
likely be some of the soldiers who would recognize him as the youth
who had joined the British army a few days before and then deserted.
Doubtless the British were aware of the fact, also, that the same
youth had set the prisoners free from the prison-ship.
Dick remained near the British encampment till after midnight, but
could do nothing to further the purpose for which he had come, and so
he retired to a clump of trees situated about a quarter of a mile from
the edge of the encampment, and hunting up a place under some bushes,
lay down and went to sleep.
He slept soundly till morning, and then got up and took a survey of
the British encampment. The sun was just rising, and everything was
quiet in the camp. The soldiers were still asleep, with the exception
of the sentinels, who could be seen slowly pacing their beats.
Dick had nothing to eat, but did not let that bother him. He was
prepared to go without food all day, if by so doing he would have a
better chance of securing information regarding the enemy. He watched
till the British soldiers got up and ate their breakfast, and then as
he saw small groups moving about, some coming almost to the clump of
trees, he decided that it would be best to climb up into a tree and
conceal himself amid the leaves, and selecting a tree with very heavy
foliage, he climbed well up into it. Here he took up as comfortable a
position as possible, watching the enemy and awaiting developments.
All was quiet till noon, and then as he saw the soldiers eating their
dinners, he was assailed by a feeling of hunger. He resolutely
dismissed the thought of food, however, and stuck to his position. He
was determined to stay till evening, at any rate, and then if he had
not secured any information, he would go to a farmhouse which he saw
about a mile distant, to the eastward, and get something to eat, after
which he would return to his post. He was determined to remain in the
vicinity of the army till he learned something of value in the way of
news regarding the intentions of the British, if it took him a week.
He climbed down out of the tree presently and walked about, in the
thicket, stretching in legs and feeling much better afterward, for his
position had been a cramped one at the best.
When the British soldiers began moving around again, after dinner,
Dick climbed up into the tree once more, for some of the redcoats
might visit the clump of trees at any time. A party of four of the
soldiers did enter the thicket an hour or so later, and throwing
themselves down in the shade, talked and laughed for some time, but
although Dick listened with intense eagerness, no words were spoken
that gave him any information. If the soldiers knew of any intended
move on the part of the British army, they did not mention the fact in
their conversation, which was made up of idle talk, of the kind as
such men would naturally indulge in.
When they left and returned to the encampment Dick drew a breath of
relief, for he felt that every minute they remained in the clump of
trees he was in danger of discovery. He might make a noise, in
shifting his position, and be heard, or he might have to sneeze, or
cough. And if he were to be discovered, it would go hard with him, for
he would undoubtedly be deemed a spy.
After the redcoats returned to the encampment, Dick descended to the
ground and walked about a while, being careful to keep the most of the
thicket between himself and the enemy. After half an hour on the
ground, he again climbed up into the tree.
Dick began to think the day was to be barren of results, as evening
drew near; but a little while before sundown he caught sight of a
couple of soldiers approaching the clump of trees. As the two drew
near, he got a fair view of their faces, and he had all he could do to
keep from uttering an exclamation, for-the two approaching British
soldiers were no others than Zeke Boggs and Lem Hicks, Dick's enemies,
the Tory youths from over in New Jersey!
"Well, this is a surprise!" thought Dick. "But I remember now, that
Ben said Zeke told him he and Lem were going to join the British army
and be British soldiers, that they were not going to let Tom, Ben, and
myself get ahead of them. I wonder what they would say if they knew I
was so near them?"
Zeke and Lem, dressed in the uniform of British soldiers, entered the
clump of timber and seated themselves on the moss under the tree next
to that Dick was in. They had no suspicion that there was anyone other
than themselves present, and talked freely of their plans.
"How do ye like army life, anyhow, Zeke?" asked Lem, as they lolled on
the grass.
"Oh, pretty well, Lem," was the reply. "How do ye like et?"
"Oh, only so-so, Zeke. They're too strict ter suit me. I don't like
ter hev ter come an' go just ez sumbuddy tells me, do you?"
"No, I don't. But when er feller enters the army, that's jest whut he
hez ter do."
"Yes, thet's so. Well, I guess I'll git used ter et."
"I'll be glad when we git inter a bettle with the rebels, Lem, won't
you?"
"Yes, I guess so." The tone was not very decided or enthusiastic. "I
hope thet ef we do git inter a battle, we'll meet up with Dick an' Tom
Dare an' Ben Foster."
"So do I. I'd like ter giv' 'em a thrashin' in a battle."
"So would I. An' I guess thet we'll hev a chance to fight the rebels
afore so very long, fur I heerd our colonel tell another officer thet
et hez be'n decided ter make an attack on Brooklyn Heights the
twenty-fourth."
"Yes, I heard 'im say thet."
Dick made mental note of this date. He had learned something of value,
and from the lips of his enemies, Zeke and Lem. How angry they would
be if they knew they had done Dick Dare a kindness! "Thank you, Zeke
and Lem," he murmured. "You are very kind, and have done me quite a
favor."
The two Tory youths remained there half an hour or so, and then
returned to the encampment. Their conversation had held nothing
further of interest to Dick, but what he had learned was sufficient.
He had learned when the British intended to make the attack, and that
was just what he had come over there to try to learn. Now he was eager
to get back to New York and tell the commander-in-chief the news.
As soon as it was dark, he set out for New York, and reached there a
couple of hours later. He went at once to headquarters, where he told
General Washington what he had learned.
The commander-in-chief complimented Dick on his success in securing
the information, and next morning he sent three thousand troops over
to reinforce General Putnam's force on Brooklyn Heights. To the
delight of Dick, Tom and Ben, Colonel Morgan's regiment was among
those sent, and the youths would thus be able to take part in the
battle.
When the 24th arrived, however, the British did not make the expected
attack, and about mid-day General Washington came over to the Heights
and conferred with Putnam, and Dick was asked his opinion regarding
the non-appearance of the British.
"I don't understand it, sir," he replied. "I heard the two Tory youths
say that an attack would be made on the twenty-fourth. Perhaps the
British have learned that you were expecting them, and have postponed
the attack on that account."
"That is possible," agreed General Washington. "Well, the only thing
to do, now, is to keep constantly on the lookout and be ready all the
time to repulse an attack."
"That is the proper course, your excellency," said General Putnam.
So it was decided to remain in readiness, and to keep out double the
usual number of sentinels, so as to avoid being taken by surprise.
This course was adopted, and the patriots kept in readiness for
instant battle, and waited with what patience they could muster,
pestered as they were by the hot weather and myriads of mosquitoes,
for the British to make an attack.