[Illustration: Dick was taken by surprise.]
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The Dare Boys
with
General Greene
BY
STEPHEN ANGUS COX
Illustrations by Rudolf Mencl
NEW YORK
A. L. CHATTERTON CO.
PUBLISHERS
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THE DARE BOYS
Stephen Angus Cox, the author of the Dare Boys Series is
specially equipped through long study and research to write upon
the life and adventures of these two daring sons of the
revolutionary period. Every item of historical reference is
absolutely correct. The trials and inherent bravery of the
sturdy warriors of this epoch are always subjects worth while,
but here the dash and bravery of the two Dare boys adds
immeasurably to the interest.
THE DARE BOYS OF 1776
THE DARE BOYS ON THE HUDSON
THE DARE BOYS IN TRENTON
THE DARE BOYS ON THE BRANDYWINE
THE DARE BOYS IN THE RED CITY
THE DARE BOYS AFTER BENEDICT ARNOLD
THE DARE BOYS IN VIRGINIA
THE DARE BOYS WITH GENERAL GREENE
THE DARE BOYS WITH LAFAYETTE
THE DARE BOYS AND THE “SWAMP FOX”
Illustrated, Cloth 12mo. Price per volume 50 cents.
Copyright, 1910
BY
The A. L. Chatterton Co.
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CONTENTS
I. The Dare Boys and the Indians 9
II. Peaceful Valley 18
III. Riding the Flood 26
IV. Dick and the Indians 34
V. Gabe Gurley 42
VI. In the Cabin 50
VII. Tom Tries Woodcraft 57
VIII. A Battle with a Wolf 63
IX. In Search of Tom 70
X. At Fort Ninety-Six 78
XI. At the Stake 84
XII. Fritz and the Indians 90
XIII. Tom and the Redcoats 96
XIV. Friends in Need 105
XV. Preparing for Trouble 111
XVI. The Search for Dick 121
XVII. Ben Reconnoiters 129
XVIII. Dick and the Panther 137
XIX. The Settlers’ Retreat 143
XX. Dick Appears 151
XXI. In the Fort 157
XXII. Tom Makes a Discovery 164
XXIII. The Siege 175
XXIV. Lively Work 182
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THE DARE BOYS WITH GENERAL GREENE
CHAPTER I
The Dare Boys and the Indians
Three youths of perhaps twenty years of age were making their way
through the forest. The locality was about fifty miles from Ninety-Six,
in South Carolina, and Ninety-Six was so called because it was
approximately that number of miles from Fort Price George. This was the
nearest fort of any size.
The three youths were no others than Dick and Tom Dare, and their
comrade, Ben Foster, who had been members of the patriot army of America
for a considerable period--for it was now May of the year 1781.
These youths, who had done brave fighting, were also famous for having
done much good work as scouts, messengers and spies, and they were now
on a scouting and spying expedition, ordered by General Greene, their
company having been sent down from Virginia into South Carolina to help
General Greene. The objective point was Ninety-Six, but there had been
lots of fighting to do with parties of British and Tories, and the
advance southward had been slow. Hearing that the Cherokee Indians were
on the warpath, having been incited thereto by the British, and that
they were committing a good many depredations and killing patriot
settlers, were burning and pillaging, General Greene had sent the youths
to learn the actual facts, for, if the Indians were committing as great
a havoc as had been stated, he would push on down into that region as
quickly as he could move his forces, and try to put a stop to their
depredations.
So here the youths were, and they were moving slowly and cautiously;
indeed a settler that they had met a few miles back had told them that
the Cherokees were in this vicinity, and had advised the youths to be
very careful or they would be interfered with.
They came to the top of a knoll, and pausing, looked ahead with keen and
searching gaze. At first they saw nothing noteworthy, but presently,
Dick uttered a low exclamation indicating interest and indicating with
his extended arm, said: “I believe I saw an Indian over there!”
“Where?” asked Tom, eagerly.
Dick pointed in the direction in which he thought he had seen the
Indian, and the three youths all gazed eagerly. For a few moments they
did not make out any sign of a living being, but suddenly out from
behind a tree about a hundred yards distant appeared a bronzed face. The
head was covered with thick, straight hair, and topped, it was seen,
with eagle feathers.
“There he is!” exclaimed Tom, excitedly, but in a low voice.
“Sh,” cautioned Dick. They stood perfectly still, and hoped that because
of the fact that they were pretty well hidden behind the underbrush upon
the top of the knoll, they would not be observed. They did not know how
keen-eyed a Cherokee Indian was, however, for suddenly a loud, thrilling
war-whoop escaped the lips of the redskin, and then from several
different directions the whoop was answered.
“He’s calling his companions!” exclaimed Ben. “We are in danger of
capture, Dick!”
“Yes, I guess we had better get away from here.” In a moment he added,
“Follow me, boys.”
Then Dick turned and started swiftly down the slope, Tom and Ben keeping
close at his heels, and from behind them came the wild, thrilling
war-whoops of the redskins.
“They’re surely after us!” exclaimed Tom.
“Yes. We’ll have to make good time if we get away from them,” said Dick.
“They may be spread out, I should judge so from their calls, and it may
take them some time to get together.”
The patriot youths ran rapidly and glancing back over his shoulder, Dick
saw that at least one of the redskins was coming after them as fast as
he could travel. The brave patriot youth realized that they were going
to have a much harder time shaking these Indians off their trail than
they usually had with the redcoats. The British soldiers were rather
clumsy and slow, but these redskins were lithe as panthers, and as
speedy, almost, and could continue running for hours.
“Do your best, boys,” he told his companions. “For I believe that they
are gaining on us.”
“Run as fast as you can, Dick,” panted Tom; “we’ll keep up with you.”
“We’ll try, at any rate,” said Ben.
On they dashed, and after them, whooping in a manner that would have
filled the hearts of less brave youths with terror, came the Indians.
Doubtless the red fiends thought they would easily surround the
fugitives, and make escape impossible. Presently Dick and his party came
to a deep gulch or ravine. The wall on their side was nearly
perpendicular, and they could not descend it. Here was a predicament
indeed. They paused, irresolute, and looked to the right and to the
left, only to see that the wall of the gulch was as steep everywhere
within sight. They could see for quite a distance too in either
direction, as the point where they were standing rather projected out
toward the other side.
The yelling of redskins determined the fact that they were within a few
hundred yards and swiftly cutting down the distance. And, too, they were
spreading out, fan-shape, with the evident intention of hemming the
youths in and preventing them from going up or down the edge of the
gulch. Of course they knew full well the contour of the land and thought
they had their intended prey, as it were, in a trap.
“There doesn’t seem to be any escape for us, Dick,” said Ben.
“Gracious,” cried Tom. “Look at that black cloud to the north.” It had
not attracted their attention before, but now they saw that a terrible
storm was impending.
Dick looked eagerly around, and suddenly he pointed to a very tall,
slender tree, of some growth he did not recognize, that stood close to
the edge of the precipice. The rains had washed out the earth from about
the roots and the tree was inclined at an angle well out over the
ravine.
“Quick!” he cried. “Let’s climb that tree and swing over the precipice.
It will bend and will let us down I think to within twelve or fifteen
feet of the bottom of the gulch.”
“That’s an idea worth trying,” cried Tom, and he was first to tackle the
task and was quickly followed by Dick and Ben.
The three occasionally assisting one another made rapid progress and
Dick meantime further explained his project. Their united weight would
bend down the long slender trunk and at his command all were to drop at
once into the depth beneath. Where would they land? There was not time
to think.
While the Indians were yet at some distance, the youths found that their
weight was effectively bending down the tree into the ravine. The change
was gradual at first, and then the more slender wood gave quicker
response to the strain, so that finally it bent so low into the depths
below that the boys instead of climbing up were sliding down toward the
tree top. Before the Indians reached a point where they could observe
the boys they had disappeared below the level of the ground which marked
the margin of the declivity.
Down, farther and farther went the patriot youths, and as the redskins
came upon the scene they saw their intended victims slipping out of
their hands in a most peculiar manner. They gave expression to their
chagrin in yells of rage, brandished their tomahawks, and threatened to
discharge arrows, but did neither. It seemed evident, from this, that
they wished to capture the youths alive. Doubtless they knew the three
were newcomers in that region, and wished to find out why they were
there. Possibly they were working in co-operation with the British and
had been instructed to capture any strangers seen and bring them to the
officer in command.
Anyhow, they did not discharge any arrows or throw any tomahawks, which
probably saved the youths’ lives, for the Indians, being expert in the
use of those weapons, could hardly have missed at so short a range.
Down lower and lower swung the three youths, and presently they came to
a point beyond which Dick deemed it not prudent to test the strength of
the wood. They were now within perhaps nine or ten feet of the bottom of
the gulch. “When I count three, let go and drop, boys,” ordered Dick.
“The fall won’t hurt us,” he added encouragingly.
One.
Two.
Three.
The boys let go at the same moment and down they dropped, striking on
the rocks of the gulch-bottom with considerable force, and dropping to
their hands and knees, but they were not injured, excepting that they
were jarred somewhat.
Then the Indians repeated their wild yells, and two of them began
climbing the same tree, it having sprung back to its original, more
nearly perpendicular, position. It was evidently the intention of the
redskins to duplicate the feat of the youths.
“Quick, let’s run down the gulch, till we come to a place where we can
climb the wall,” ordered Dick.
“Look!” suddenly yelled Tom, pointing up the gulch in the direction they
had before noticed the cloud denoting an impending storm.
Dick and Ben looked, and saw a wondrous sight, a wall of foaming water
coming rushing down the gulch toward them at terrible speed.
“There has been a cloud-burst up the gulch!” exclaimed Dick in dismay.
“We will be swept away in that torrent!”
There was no time to say much, let alone do anything, for the torrent
was sweeping toward them with the speed of the wind, and as it advanced,
it roared like thunder. The youths now saw that there were logs in the
advancing waters, swirling and pounding, and grinding against one
another.
The Indians that had started to climb the tree had slid back down to the
earth, and all stood at the edge of the precipice, staring down upon the
youths, whom they doubtless believed to be doomed.
And there was reason for their thinking thus, for there was terrible
force in the volume of water sweeping irresistibly upon them.