CHAPTER XIV--Routed
The patriot soldiers dashed forward, running rapidly through the heavyunderbrush that intervened, and when they were in range, they werehalted suddenly, at a command from the captain, who promptly orderedthem to fire a volley.
The redcoats, seeing that a very considerably stronger force than theirown was coming, had leaped behind trees, shielding themselves as bestthey could, so that the volley fired by the patriot soldiers did not doa great deal of damage, wounding a few, but not killing any.
The British soldiers then returned the fire, but the patriot soldiers,upon order of the Captain were crouching low, so that only one or tworeceived slight flesh wounds, but no serious harm was done.
Again the captain yelled for the patriot soldiers to charge, and theydid so, dashing forward at the top of their speed. At this the redcoatsturned and fled at the top of their speed, evidently deciding that itwould not be practicable for them to try to stand their ground.
After them went the patriots, firing their pistols and yelling loudly,and the redcoats ran as they probably had never run before. The patriotsoldiers followed them perhaps a quarter of a mile, and then, notwishing to waste effort or ammunition, at a command from the captain,they stopped.
Returning now to the point where the raiders had been encamped, DickDare said that he would go to the island in the swamp and tell thepatriot settlers that they could now come back to their homes, as theenemy had been driven away.
"I'll tell you what I would prefer you would do, Dick," said thecaptain. "I wish you would follow that party of redcoats. They willlikely return to their main encampment, and by following them you willbe enabled to learn where Arnold's force is. Somebody else can go to theisland and carry the news to the settlers."
"True. Very well, Captain Morgan. I will go on the trail of the Britishsoldiers, and as soon as I have located their encampment, I will returnand bring you the information."
"Good, Dick. That will please me, for I want to get after that traitor,Arnold."
So Dick hastened away, through the forest, following the course taken bythe redcoats. He went swiftly, for he wanted to get his eyes on theescaping soldiers, when he would have no great difficulty in keepingthem under surveillance.
On he hastened, and about half an hour later he caught sight of the reduniforms of the soldiers bobbing about between the trees in front ofhim.
"There they are," murmured Dick, slackening his pace. "Good. Now I canfollow them without much trouble."
The party continued on southward till they were nearly to the JamesRiver, and then they turned toward the east, and went in that directionseveral miles. Coming to an open spot on the top of a knoll, when theywere at a distance of perhaps ten miles from the encampment by theswamp, that they had recently quitted so hurriedly, they again went intocamp.
Dick stopped and from a position behind a tree, watched them with afeeling of disappointment. "They don't seem to have any intention ofgoing to the main encampment, yet awhile, anyhow," he murmured. "Well, Iwill stay here and keep watch on them, and perhaps later on they will goto the British camp."
The redcoats remained where they were, and when finally noon came, theyate some food that they carried in knap-sacks, and this made Dick feelhungry. He had come away in such a hurry that he had not thought offood.
He was determined not to lose sight of the British soldiers, however, sohe stuck to his post, and waited for them to continue their journey.
About the middle of the afternoon Dick heard the sound of voices frombehind him, and turned around quickly--to see Tom and Ben coming throughthe timber!
"Well, if there don't come the boys!" he murmured. "Now, I will havecompany, anyhow."
Fearing that the redcoats up on the top of the knoll might hear thevoices of the youths, or catch sight of them, Dick hastened to meet thetwo, and when they discovered him, he made a cautioning gesture to whichthey gave heed for they stopped and waited for him to join them.
"Have you found the encampment of Arnold, Dick?" asked Tom, eagerly.
"No," was the reply. "The party of redcoats that we chased away havestopped here and gone into camp. I'm waiting for them to continue theirjourney."
"Well, I'm glad we caught up with you and we have brought you rations."
"Which is most welcome news."
They settled down behind a clump of bushes, and took it easy while Dickfilled, in some degree, the empty void within him. They could peepthrough between the bushes and see the redcoats on the knoll; and Tomand Ben now told Dick that Tim and Fritz had come to the island andbrought the news that the patriot soldiers were there and had driven theredcoats away.
"The patriot settlers came back to the mainland and went to their homesagain," said Tom. "And the soldiers are encamped at the settlement,where they will stay till we get back with the news of the whereaboutsof Arnold's main encampment."
"That is good," said Dick.
"Yes," said Ben. "What luck did you have, Dick, climbing through thetops of the trees?"
Dick then told them of his experience in the bog, and how Fritz andHerbert Miller had come to his rescue, just when he had begun to thinkhe would perish in the bog.
"It was lucky that they happened to find that path and were trying toreach the island," said Tom.
"Yes, it was my only salvation. There was near to being an end to DickDare."
Slowly the time rolled away, and evening came, with the redcoats stillencamped on the top of the knoll. As soon as it was dark, Dick crept upclose to the encampment, and after listening a while, succeeded inhearing enough of the conversation of the soldiers to learn that it wastheir intention to remain there all night.
Dick made his way back to where Tom and Ben were and told them the news."Such being the case," he said, "we don't need to stay right here andkeep watch on the camp all the time. We will go and find a settler'shome and get something to eat."
"That's the idea," said Tom. "I am beginning to feel pretty hungry."
"I could enjoy a bite, myself," said Ben.
"Come, then," said Dick. "We'll see if we can find a place where we canget something to eat."
He set out through the woodland with Tom and Ben close beside him. Theytraveled thus for perhaps half an hour, during which time darknessovertook them, then they suddenly caught sight of lights, throughbetween the trees.
"There's a little settlement!" exclaimed Tom.
"Yes, and there's something going on at one of the houses," said Ben."See, that house near the center is lighted up more than the others, andI hear music."
"Sounds like a violin," said Tom. "Likely they are having a partythere."
The youths were soon close to the house in question, and saw that therewere a number of young people, young men and girls, in the front room,dancing to the music from a violin.
"A dance!" exclaimed Tom. "Let's go in, boys, and enjoy ourselves awhile."
The other two willingly agreed. It was not often that they had foundopportunity for amusement, so advancing to the door, Dick knocked.
The Dare Boys in Virginia Page 14
