In the Fort
Dick had not noticed the fact, but while he was helping the farmer hand
out the meat and vegetables to the others, a soldier had been standing
near, gazing keenly and searchingly at him.
Suddenly a low exclamation escaped the lips of the soldier, and he
turned to one of his comrades and said something, and they conversed a
few moments, after which the soldier spoken to hastened into the fort.
Presently he returned, accompanied by a soldier wearing a captain’s
uniform.
The captain advanced to the side of the wagon, and looking up at Dick,
said: “Who are you, young man?”
“I am working for Mr. Boggs,” replied Dick.
“What’s your name?”
“Dick.”
“Dick what?”
“Dick Rogers.”
The captain pointed a finger at the young patriot, and exclaimed in a
stern, threatening voice: “You are Dick Dare, the rebel spy!”
Dick had expected something of the kind, after seeing the threatening
look on the captain’s face, but at the same time it rather took him
aback. He gazed steadily at the officer, however, and said:
“Why do you think I am Dick Dare, sir? And who is he?”
“Why do I think you are Dick Dare? Because one of the soldiers here, was
stationed up in Virginia a few months ago, and saw you there, and he
recognized you and told me who you were. And now, you are my prisoner.
Climb down out of that wagon.”
On driving into the enclosure, the farmer had made a circle, and the
horses were now standing with their heads toward the gate, which was
still open. Dick had noted this fact, and when he heard the captain’s
command, a daring plan came into his mind. He would attempt to drive out
of the enclosure and make his escape.
So he quickly grabbed up the lines and whip, and yelling to the horses,
and giving them a couple of cuts with the whip, Dick sent the team out
of the enclosure on the gallop, knocking down and running over two of
the soldiers, who at the command from the captain had tried to stop the
horses.
The farmer had been thrown down in the bottom of the wagon by the
suddenness of the start, and he lay still, for he thought it likely that
there would be bullets flying soon.
And in thinking thus he was correct, for the captain, wild with rage,
gave the command for his soldiers to fire, and they did so, the bullets
whizzing around Dick, who was still plying the whip and yelling to the
horses.
On across the open ground dashed the team, and the soldiers came running
forth from the enclosure like bees from a hive, and many of them came
running after the wagon, but could not gain on it.
Dick drove on, and presently the wagon was in among the trees. Here the
road wound and twisted, and the progress was slower than when in the
open ground, but still they went at a pretty rapid rate.
The soldiers gave up the pursuit, and then Dick slowed the horses to a
walk, and turned to the farmer, and smiling rather grimly, said: “I am
sorry to have had to take matters in my hands, Mr. Boggs, but the
redcoats would have captured me, otherwise.”
“Oh, that’s all right,” was the reply. “I had sold most all my truck,
ennyhow.”
“But the redcoats will have it in for you, after this, won’t they?”
“I guess not. I’ll tell ’em I didn’t know ye was a rebel.”
“That will be a good idea.”
“Yes.”
The farmer now took his seat beside Dick, and took the lines, and drove,
and presently Dick said: “I guess I’ll leave you, now, Mr. Boggs. This
is about the nearest point to the patriot encampment.”
“All right, Dick Dare.”
Dick leaped to the ground, shook hands with the farmer, thanked him for
his kindness in doing what he had, and then said good-by. His mission
ended he set out through the woods in the direction of the encampment.
When he reached there, he went to the headquarters tent, and was given a
cordial greeting by General Greene.
“Have you been reconnoitering the fort, Dick?” the general asked.
“Yes, General Greene,” was the reply. “And I have been within the
stockade-walls.”
The general started and looked surprised. “How did you manage that, my
boy?” he asked.
Dick explained, then, the general listening with interest, and when Dick
had described the interior of the enclosure, and the fort, the officer
nodded, and said: “You have done pretty well, Dick. A knowledge of the
interior arrangements at the fort is worth considerable.”
“So I thought, sir, and that is the reason I was so eager to see the
interior of the fort.”
After he had asked a few questions, General Greene told Dick he might
go, but that any further information he could secure would be
appreciated.
“I’ll reconnoiter the fort to-night,” said Dick. “I may be able to learn
something further.”
Dick then rejoined his comrades, and told them the story of his
adventure at the fort. They listened with interest, and uttered
exclamations of wonder.
“Sure an’ they came moighty near to grabbin’ ye, thot toime, Dick,” said
Tim Murphy.
“Yah, dot is so,” nodded Fritz Schmockenburg.
“But I was able to get a look at the interior of the fort,” said Dick,
“and that was worth while.”
“Yes, indeed,” said Ben Foster. “Of course, you saw nothing of Tom?”
“No. If he is there, he was in a building somewhere, and so I would not
have seen him.”
They talked about the adventure quite a while, and were agreed that Dick
had acted in a daring manner in venturing into the fort.
“That was the only way I could secure any information regarding the
arrangements of the buildings within the enclosure,” said Dick.
After supper, Dick again set out. He made his way at a moderate pace,
and finally reached the edge of the open ground shortly after dark. He
stopped just within the edge of the forest and looked across at the fort
for a few minutes. Then he began making his way toward the fort, slowly.
It was a rather dark night, and he could just make out the fort, looking
like a faint shadow, and he felt certain that the sentinels could not
see him.
He was at the wall of the fort in about fifteen or twenty minutes, and
began making his way along it, feeling for a place where he could climb
to the top, as Ben said he had done.
He had nearly reached the corner of the enclosure when he heard a
commotion within the enclosure. The sound of excited voices came to him,
and the clatter of weapons, and then he heard a noise above his head. He
looked upward quickly, and as he did so, a human form came over the top
of the wall and dropped down, striking Dick and knocking him to the
ground.