Reaching the camp, the boys were heartily welcomed by the Liberty Boys,
who knew that something had happened when Ben and the rest came in with
a prisoner and were eager to hear the rest.
"Did you get the other fellow, Captain?" asked Sam.
"Yes, and we left him holding an interview with General Putnam."
"In which he was likely to get the worst of the argument," put in Ben
dryly.
At that moment a jolly-looking Irish boy up and said, giving a comical
salute:
"Captain dear, supper do be ready an' the young leddies have come to
camp, an' will ye ate thim foirst--Oi mane mate thim foirst an' ate
supper afther, or phwativer?"
There was a laugh, and then two young very pretty young ladies rode up
to the fire and were helped to dismount by Dick and Bob. The girls were
their sisters and their sweethearts also, the sister of each being the
sweetheart of the other, and were as constant companions as the boys
themselves. They lived in Westchester county and had come to visit
friends in New York, stopping on the way to see the boys.
"Well, Alice," said Dick to his sweetheart, "so you have come to the
city, have you? Things are in a rather turbulent state, but I fancy we
can get you out of it in case there is any immediate trouble. You will
stay to supper, of course. Patsy has just announced that it is ready, so
we will lose no time in sitting down."
The girls were well known to all the Liberty Boys and when they sat down
they received a general salute, every boy there being glad to see them.
After supper the boys who had brought in the spy took him to the
general's quarters, and shortly after this Dick and Bob set out with the
girls to see them to the house of their friends in the city. Dick and
Bob took their horses, the captain riding a magnificent black Arabian
and Bob a fine bay, and all set out together, laughing and talking in
lively fashion. They struck across the Common to the road running to the
west of it, and would then make their way into the city past the new
church and Broadway to Maiden Lane.
As they were going on at an easy jog, expecting to leave the Common,
four or five dark forms suddenly sprang up in front of them and seize
their bridles, while as many ran up behind and prevented their wheeling.
Then some one flashed the light of a lantern in their faces, and a voice
was heard saying:
"H'm! women! We don't want them. All want is the rebels!"
The girls' horses were at once set free, and the girls themselves lost
no time in wheeling and dashing back toward the camp, Alice taking the
lead.
"Hi! what are you doing?" growled one of men, who were all evil-looking
fellows, as Dick could see. "The gals will bring the rest of the
rebels."
Dick was dragged from the back of Major, his black Arabian, and one of
the men attempted to mount the animal to go in chase of the two girls
but was immediately thrown.
"Back to camp, Major!" said Dick.
In an instant the intelligent animal was flying after the girls, who
quickly recognized his hoof-beats. Meanwhile the men who had captured
Dick and Bob knew the danger they would run remaining on the ground, and
they hurried away with the two boys, letting Bob's bay go free. They
went on so rapidly that Dick was unable to see much of the way, but he
knew the direction they took almost by instinct, and could have returned
without trouble if he had been liberated. The men kept the two boys in
the middle of the party and held on to them tightly.
"We got the rebels an' we'll get the reward," said one.
"Yes, the gals an' the other rebels won't be able to find the house, and
they can hunt all they like."
It was a sharp decline to the river, down the lane, and one of the men
stumbled and rolled several yards, picking himself up with a grunt and a
groan and a lot of bad language, and then hurrying after the rest. Dick
heard the swash of the water on the gravel bank, and then saw the river
itself dimly, but in another moment some dark object loomed up before
him, and then he and Bob were taken into a house, the front of which was
much lower than the back on account of the steepness of the hank. The
boys were taken to the front and then down a flight of steps to a room
in the rear, where they were left in the dark, the door being locked and
barred on the outside.
"Who are these fellows, do you suppose, Dick?" asked Bob, when they were
left alone.
"I don't know. Tories, no doubt, or just men who want the reward offered
for my capture."
"But there is none offered for me," with a laugh. "Why should they take
me with them?"
"To keep you from giving the alarm. They would have taken the girls if
they had thought twice."
"But will the girls be able to show them the way?"
"They can take them to where we were attacked, and after that the boys
will follow the trail. Mark is a good hand at that sort of thing, and he
will have good boys to help him."
"Yes, they would all turn out and join in the hunt if he asked them,"
declared Bob.
"But there is no use in our staying in the dark, Bob," said Dick. "You
have matches with you?"
"Yes. They did not search us and I have matches, and my pistols and
everything."
Bob then lighted a sulphur match, the only kind in use at the time, and
looked about him. They were in a room with one door but no windows, and
were evidently under guard at the back of the stone house. Dick listened
attentively for some minutes, and at last heard the sound of some one
coming downstairs.
"Put out the light, Bob," he said, in a low tone. "If they see it under
the door they may get suspicious."
Bob blew out the candle, and in a moment all was dark and still in the
room.
"When the door opens make a rush at it, Bob, and overturn the fellows.
There are two of them."
Bob stood ready to act upon the instant, and the steps of the two men
coming on could be heard plainer than ever, rays of light beginning to
show under the door. The men said nothing, and came on softly, but
Dick's ears were very sharp, and he could hear them with no trouble.
The key was turned in the lock and the bolts shot back, and then, as the
door opened slowly, the boys both threw their weight upon it suddenly
and sent it flying wide open in an instant. There was a startled cry and
a heavy fall, and in a moment the place was thrown into profound
darkness.
"Pick them up and lock them in, Bob," said Dick, and the boys hurried
into the passage, presently stumbling upon two men who were just getting
upon their feet.
They seized the men, threw them into the room, closed the door and
locked them in, taking out the key, and then looked for the lantern as
they heard a call from above.