ON THE MARCH.
The long fight and their narrow escape had so tired Dick and Fritz that
after going a few miles further, the two Patriots decided to make camp
and get a much needed rest. They had gotten fairly well along on their
trip, and in spite of their forced halts had covered a good deal of
ground.
The boys turned aside from the road; dismounted and leading their
horses, struck into the woods for a space. When they had reached a
slight hollow far enough from the path of travel, to conceal their
fire, they threw off their kits, and undertook the preparation of a
meal.
Dick cut a few strips of bacon, kneaded a cup full of flour, and set
Fritz to gathering dry leaves, twigs and heavy wood to keep the fire
blazing. They were both dog-tired, but neither uttered the slightest
complaint, and by the time the coffee was bubbling and the bacon
sizzling over the camp fire both boys felt a great deal better, and
fell to with keen appetites on their rough meal.
"This is better than taking any chances at a farm house," said Dick.
"Those soldiers we chased to-day may come back along this road, and we
might get into their clutches again. I don't think we would get out as
easily next time."
"Vat mit climbin' chimneys, und hidin' unter straw heabs, und running
und fightin'--"
"Anything else you can think of, Fritz?" asked Dick, laughingly, as
Fritz stopped for breath.
"Vat happened is happened, anyhow," said Fritz, "und it's a good thing
dot Irisher Tim vasn't along to get us into more troubles."
Dick roared at this comment on their friend, and refused to spoil the
joke by telling the German what he was laughing at. It was plain that
Fritz accounted himself a skilful messenger, and didn't see that part
of their troubles had been occasioned by his own good intentioned, but
ill-considered acts.
The boys talked for a while, and then when the night grew chilly they
rolled up singly in their blankets and soon dropped off to sleep.
For a wonder they passed the night in peace and quiet. Either the
English had passed them in the dark, or they hadn't gotten up enough
enterprise to prompt them to renew the pursuit after their defeat that
afternoon.
The rising sun saw the boys up and ready for their march. A dip into
the nearby creek, a hasty breakfast, and they were off on their trip to
Vincennes.
At noon that day they rode boldly up to the door of a farm house, and
asked a surly looking grey-haired farmer for a meal, for which they
would gladly pay what was fair. The man's face brightened visibly at
the mention of payment, and after looking them over again, he drawled,
"Wall, I reckon you two young uns kin get a bit here, providin' you're
able to pay fer it."
"Sure," answered Fritz, holding out a handful of coin with which he was
equipped for traveling.
The man's eyes narrowed a little at the sight of the money, but he
didn't express any surprise, and nodding toward the stable, said, "Just
stow your nags in there and come in. We'll have somethin' ready in a
minit."
As they turned toward the stable Dick thought he saw another form
through the half-open door of the kitchen, but the vision was so
uncertain that he dismissed the thought and busied himself with his
horse.
"Dot money opened the old crab's eyes, yes?" chuckled Fritz.
"Seemed to me he closed them," said Dick. "I'm afraid it isn't wise to
show more than one coin at a time, Fritz."
"Dot old feller couldn't do notings," boasted the German boy. "And
besides I don't always got so much to show."
"Oh, I guess everything is all right," replied Dick, "but I thought the
old man looked rather interested at your display of good money."
"Veil, id don't do him any no good," returned Fritz. "He gets enough
for vat fer meals he gives us, und dot's all."
The boys now walked up to the house, and entered the kitchen. Again
Dick thought he saw someone in the front room, but he couldn't
investigate, and besides, what of it? There were undoubtedly others in
the house.
The farmer appeared to have prepared the meal himself, and as he set it
before them he plied them with questions.
"Bin fightin'?" he queried.
"Some," replied Dick, his mouth full of hot potato.
"Which side?" asked the farmer.
"Patriot, of course."
"Of course," agreed the old man.
"Sure," said Fritz, and Dick kicked him in the shins.
"Hear them British is about knocked out," continued their host.
"They will be before long," Dick answered. "They are getting enough
of this chasing up and down the country, and finding food scarce and
enemies plentiful."
"They ain't all enemies, though."
"No, there are a few good for nothing Tories left," said Dick.
"That's kind o' hard talk," the old man drawled.
"They ought to be called worse than that," Dick returned sharply.
"S'pose I was one, myself?"
Fritz choked at the very thought of such a possibility, and Dick began
to look about for the cause of the farmer's long conversation. At that
instant there came a long whistle from outside the house, and with
a bound the farmer reached the door and stood in front of it. Dick
sprang from his stool, grabbed the old man roughly about the shoulders,
and hurled him from his position at the door. He ran outside, followed
by Fritz, who had started to his comrade's assistance, and discovered
their two horses going at a gallop down the road, led by a young man on
a third horse.
"So that's their little game," cried Dick.
"Come on, ve'll catch him," yelled Fritz, and started headlong in
pursuit.
Dick ran with him, but it was soon evident to both of them that the
longer they ran the farther behind they got. So they slowed down to a
walk, and as they reached the top of a long wooded hill, they stopped
to get their breath.
"I'll climb up that old tree, I guess," said Dick. "Maybe we can see
something of the rascals from the top."
"Yah, und I'll go too up," commented Fritz.
So the two started climbing, and Dick gradually worked his way toward
the upper branches of an aged oak. When he had almost reached the top
he heard a loud crash, and looking below saw his good friend land with
a dull thud on the mossy ground beneath.
"What's the trouble?" called Dick.
"Troubles enough," responded the startled boy. "Dot old tree is so
shaky dot I don't see how you up climbed him."
This statement occasioned so much laughter on Dick's part, that the old
monarch of the forest in retribution pretty nearly landed him on the
ground beside Fritz, and it was only by hurriedly grasping the nearest
branches and steadying himself that Dick retained his position.
"Veil, vhere is he at?" questioned Fritz, referring to the person whom
they had seen making away with their horses.
"Can't see him at all," Dick replied, scanning the road for a view of
the vanished horseman. "That's funny, too, Fritz, for I can see way
ahead of where he should be."
"Maype he is hiding," conjectured the German.
"By George!" ejaculated Dick.
"How do you know his name?" asked Fritz.
"Don't," responded Dick. "Look here, Fritz. There is another road
running parallel with this one, a little further down in the valley."
"Vell, dot don't help us any yet," replied Fritz. "One road is enough
to valk on. No, yes?"
"But I'll bet it does help us, you lazy goose. That fellow may have
gone across to it through the woods, and if we hurry, we'll head him
off."
Dick came down rapidly and the two rushed off through the brush and
timber toward the road which Dick had discovered.
"Be a little careful about making any noise," cautioned Dick. "If that
fellow hears us floundering about in this way, he will take alarm and
ride off again, and then where would all your tree climbing and running
help you?"
"Py golly, running is bad, but no more shaky trees for me," replied
Fritz.
They could now see the opening ahead of them where the road ran
through. It was a rough log track, and unless in a desperate hurry, no
one would think of galloping over it. The two boys crouched behind the
wall of foliage that reached to the road's edge, and were almost ready
to abandon all hope of meeting their man, when from down the road came
the sound of whistling, and presently the young Tory and the trio of
horses came in sight.
The youth evidently assumed that he was now perfectly safe from
pursuit, and was proceeding leisurely back to the farm house with his
prize. Probably he would have soon left the horses in the woods, and
then have gone to the farm house alone to get the lay of the land, but
if such had been his intention, it was rudely interrupted by the two
Patriots whose mounts he was so calmly leading.
With a shout which could be heard a mile, Dick and Fritz leaped from
their ambush and grasped the startled Tory's horse. Fritz held tight to
the bit and Dick grabbed the young farmer by the leg and pulled him out
of the saddle.
Dick then proceeded to administer a sound and much deserved thrashing
to the cause of their trouble, and when the young fellow recovered
partially from his surprise, he broke away and started on a dead run
for the farm house. Dick had neither time or desire to pursue him,
and was well satisfied with recovering their steeds, and Fritz was
particularly delighted with the addition of one horse to their party.
The Tory was well out of reach by now, and before he turned to dive
into the safety of the woods, he shouted, placing his hands to his
mouth to form a megaphone, "Next time I'll get you, you rebels!"
"That fellow seems familiar to me somehow," said Dick. "I wonder where
we've seen him before?"
"Oh--ah--I've got it," stuttered Fritz.
"Got what?" asked Dick.
"Dot's the same feller you pushed in the ditch already, the day we
started out."
"You're right," answered Dick. "That's who it is."
"Sure, I'm right," returned Fritz, as if such was always the case.
"I wonder what he's doing here. He must have followed us after that
little meeting we first had. Do you know, Fritz, I believe that fellow
has been responsible for the close attention we have been getting all
along the line. But what can his object be?"
This was too much for Fritz's detective powers, and he gave up the
matter as beyond explanation. But Dick didn't, and it bothered him for
some time as they rode rapidly along with their captive horse tugging
at the line behind them.
The log road seemed to take the right direction, and rather than search
through the woods for the main highway, the boys held to it. It was
comfortable riding here too, and the overhanging branches served to
keep the hot afternoon sun from bothering the travelers.
The boys rode in silence, broken only by occasional comments upon
their stormy trip thus far, and sometimes they spoke of the small
wild furry folk scampering away through the underbrush aroused by the
intrusion of these strangers upon their domains.
The calm of a warm summer afternoon in the forest settled upon the
boys, and they were both glad of the relief, after their continued
excitement and vigilance. Dick's thoughts traveled back to their home
up north, and lingered longer than necessary on a very close relative
of Ben Foster's, namely, Ben's sister. And when he recovered with a
guilty start from those pleasant memories, his mind roamed again to
Ben, himself, lying in the Charleston hospital, with Tom and Tim, bless
them, watching over him.
They, too, were perhaps under way by this time and before long they
would either meet where the trail struck in across the mountains, or
they would be traveling very closely after one another. And yet, in the
unforeseen future, one of them might fail to complete that journey. But
no, Dick refused to entertain such discouraging thoughts.
Dick came to with a start. He had been dozing there in the shade of
the great forest trees; in fact, Fritz was still half asleep in his
saddle. The horses had walked steadily on, all this time, however, and
now they were back in the main roadway again.
"Wake up, old man!" called Dick.
"Yah. Um," yawned Fritz, coming back to earth.
"We have got to keep our eyes open, now," said Dick.
And they did, until some time after night fall, when both of them,
tired with the day's march, climbed from their saddles, walked back
into the sparsely covered timber land with their horses, and prepared
for another night in the open.