Dick secured a basketful of food to take to the boys, knowing that Ben
and Harry would procure more, and therefore not taking any more than he
could conveniently carry without arousing suspicion. The city was full
of redcoats, and at every step he realized the danger he ran, and also
that it would increase with every hour that he and the boys remained in
New York.
"We must get out to-night as soon as we can procure boats," he said to
himself, "There must be some way of getting them, and we must have them,
as they are absolutely necessary."
He returned to the stone house, getting in by the lower door without
being observed, the other boys returning shortly afterward by the upper
entrance.
"It will be difficult to get away by any of the regular roads," declared
Ben, "and even if we all had disguises, it is going to be a difficult
matter to pass the guard."
"I was thinking of getting out of New York by way of the river, Ben,"
said Dick.
"That will be something less difficult, though hard enough, but where
are we going to get our boats?"
"There are ships in the river not very far away, and it may be that they
will anchor still nearer. The men will want to come ashore and we must
get hold of at least two boats. I don't think one will be sufficient,
even if it is a long boat. Watch the river, boys, and see what are our
chances."
The boys ate some of the food which Dick and the rest had procured, and
while some rested, others kept a lookout on the river, on the wharf and
on the bank above. At times the paths were well frequented, and men and
women could be seen on the walk above, the wharf being now quite busy
and then almost deserted, although at no time would it have been wise
for the boys in uniform to have ventured out. Well on in the afternoon a
ship came up the river and anchored right off the stone house, well out
in the stream, another being something above it.
"The bluejackets will be coming ashore some time in the evening to enjoy
themselves," remarked Dick. "It will be high tide, and if we can get
hold of the boat, we can perhaps hide it under the wharf."
"Unless it is too high," said Bob. "The tides are pretty heavy just
now."
"Then we can leave from the wharf itself, but we shall have to do
everything with despatch, for it is likely that a watch will be kept on
the river and along shore, and the least suspicious act will bring down
the night patrol and the watch, as well as the redcoats and sailors."
"No good thing can be had without effort," said Bob dryly, "and if we
want our freedom we must work for it."
It was after dark when two boats came ashore from the nearest vessel and
tied up at the wharf a short distance from the stone house. The sailors
went ashore, leaving the boats without any one to look after them, but
there were men on the wharf and constant passing to and fro of men and
boys.
"We shall have to wait a while," said Dick. "When it is quieter there
will be more chance to secure the boats."
"Then it may be too late," muttered Bob, "for the sailors will be going
back to the ship."
"They will not return till late, for no sailor wants to cut short his
shore leave."
"There may be a few minutes when all is quiet, and in the interim we can
make a run for the boats and get away."
"Yes, and we must be on the lookout for just such a time."
The boys waited patiently, but it seemed as if no one wanted to go to
bed, and as if there would be something going on all night. Finally,
realizing the danger of waiting too long, Dick said to Bob and some of
the boys:
"I am going to make my way to the other end of the wharf and get up some
sort of disturbance to draw the people away from the boats. You must
take that opportunity to seize them and get away. Then I will join you
and we will all leave."
"You won't get caught?" asked Bob. "If I thought there was any danger, I
would insist on going with you."
"There will be danger, of course, but I will take care of myself."
"I don't think that it will be wise to have too many of us away from the
boats."
"No, perhaps not."
Dick shortly crept out cautiously by the lower door, having a long coat
over his uniform, and made his way toward the farther end of the wharf
and get up some sort of disturbance to draw the people away from the
boats. "You must take that opportunity to seize them and get away. Then I
will join you and we will all leave."
"You won't get caught?" asked Bob. "If I thought there was any danger, I
would insist on going with you."
"There will be danger, of course, but I will take care of myself."
"I don't think that it will be wise to have too many of us away from the
boats."
"No, perhaps not."
Dick shortly crept out cautiously by the lower door, having a long coat
over his uniform, and made his way toward the farther end of the wharf.
The boys were to act as soon as they heard any unusual noise from his
direction, Bob taking the lead. Making his way along the wharf, Dick
presently saw a nightwatch with a lantern at the end of a long pole
coming toward them.
"Here is the watch," said one, "come to send us to bed."
"Let us put out his lantern and souse him in the river," said Dick, with
a laugh.
"That's so, that will be great fun."
A man with a lantern came up at this moment and the light fell upon
Dick.
"Hallo! if there isn't the rebel!" the man shouted.
The fellow was Tom's father, Dick recognizing him at that moment. Here
was the chance to create the disturbance, and Dick at once sprang at the
man, knocked him down, and said:
"Take that, you sot! We will see if you can insult honest folks for
nothing!"
At once there was a shout, and some of the man's friends sprang at Dick
with shouts and a great uproar. In the scuffle Dick lost his long coat,
letting it go rather than be seized by one of the thieves. The night
watch and a number of redcoats were now seen coming on at a run.
"By George! the fellow is a rebel, after all! See his uniform."
"My word, that's Dick Slater himself! Seize him, there is a big reward
offered for him."
Dick knocked down two of the crowd and pushed another into the water
from the wharf. There was a great outcry, and now men and boys began
coming from all quarters to see the fight. The watch and the redcoats
saw Dick and hurried forward to arrest him as a rebel and for creating a
disturbance. The people, fearing to be apprehended by the watch, hurried
away by this and that way of escape, and Dick had a clear coast. Then he
gave a signal which told the boys to get away as quickly as possible.
They had already seized the two boats and filled them rapidly.
"Take in Dick, boys," said Bob, heading one of the boats, "while I go
ahead to clear the way."
Harry, Ben, Sam, Phil and others were in the other boat, which lay
alongside the wharf, ready to take Dick on board. Meanwhile the alarm
was spreading that Dick Slater, the captain of the Liberty Boys, was in
the city and that whoever would seize him would receive a large reward.
Dick, close pressed, sounded a signal to the boys to get away at once
for fear of being caught. It were better that he were taken, he
reasoned, than that all the boys should be made prisoners. Bob, in his
boat, thinking that Dick was all right, went on out upon the river.
Redcoats, nightwatch, sailors and populace joined in the pursuit,
pressing the young patriot sorely. He had to dodge and take a longer
course to the boat in order to reach it at all and then signalled to the
boys to go on. Harry and his boys, supposing that Dick had in some way
reached the other boat, took up their oars and began to pull. Then Dick
found a way suddenly to dart between two of the redcoats and run rapidly
toward the water. There was a great outcry and the chase waxed hotter
than ever. The redcoats and the nightwatch pursued Dick to the very edge
of the wharf.
The boat containing the Liberty Boys was just putting out. Dick jumped
and was caught by Harry. The redcoats were too late. A furious captain,
in his haste to seize Dick rushed forward with drawn sword, and in a
moment went pitching headlong, and was speedily seen floundering in the
water, his wig floating in one direction and his hat in another, his
sword sinking to the bottom, as he was suddenly forced to swim for it or
go down. The nightwatch lost his lantern in the scuffle, and there was
great confusion and hubbub. In the dark, men behind pushing forward to
see what was going on crowded redcoats and others into the river, and
the confusion and hubbub grew worse and worse every moment.
"Hallo, keep back there, you are throwing us all into the river!"
"Good thing, too, to get rid of all the redcoats!"
"Push a few more in and give them a good soaking."
"Shove in a few rebels to even things up."
"What's all the trouble about, anyhow?"
"Ten o'clock of a sultry night and all's well!" drawled the nightwatch,
recovering his lantern and lighting it.
Then other nightwatchmen came up, and there was more light and less
confusion and turmoil. The redcoats were very wroth at the people for
letting the "saucy young rebels" escape, and the bluejackets were angry
at the rebels for taking their boats, while some of the people were
wrathful at both redcoats and bluejackets, and others,--Tories, by the
way--were incensed against the others and angry at the escape of the
boys.
The latter were now out upon the river in the dark, but going cautiously
and steadily on. Dick took the lead and worked his way between the shore
and the nearest ship without being discovered, the hubbub on shore not
having yet resolved itself into an alarm which the ships could
understand. The officers, supposing it to be merely a fight between
rival crews or between sailors and people, paid no attention to it, and
the boys continued steadily on their way. Then other boats put out, and
some one shouted:
"Hallo! there's a boatload of young rebels on the river, trying to
escape. Fire upon them and sink the young rascals the moment you see
them!"
Now the cause of the fracas on shore was explained, and at once a search
for the daring boys was instituted. Lights flashed, hoarse voices were
heard calling across the water, and there was as much confusion on the
river as there had been on land. One could not see as far as on shore,
however, and the means of getting from place to place were not as
numerous, and much time was lost in getting into communication one with
another.
Dick knew his way and went on as rapidly as possible, and with all
caution, passing one ship and making his way toward the next. In the
dark, the blue uniforms of the boys could easily be mistaken for the
blue jackets or sailors or midshipmen, and Dick relied upon this to help
him in his escape. A boat had been lowered, and presently the sound of
the boys' oars was heard by the enemy.
"Ahoy! What boat is that?"
"Seen anything of the rebels, sir?" asked Dick, the boys pulling
steadily.
"No, not yet. Have you?"
"I've an idea there's a boatload of them ahead of us somewhere, but it's
dark as Erebus on the river."
"Go ahead and keep a watch. My idea is that they have not gone as far as
this yet."
"An idea that you are quite welcome to, my man!" was Dick's thought.
"Everybody thinks that his idea is the only correct one."
Bob was hailed by the other boat as he followed Dick closely, and
answered gruffly:
"Port, captain! Keep a watch below there, and keep a sharper eye on your
duty. The rebels may have gone down the river, for all you know. There
is no good in looking one way only."
"Aye, aye, sir!" and the boat went down the river.
The ship was passed in safety, the boats being supposed to be filled
with middies and bluejackets, and no questions were asked. There were
dangers ahead of the boys, however, and they all realized that running
the blockade was not going to be as easy a matter as one might think.