CHAPTER XI—The Tories Again
“You are right,” said Miller. “I hope the settlers will be able to drive the redcoats away from the island.”
“Mebby dey vill be able to do dot,” said Fritz.
“Let’s load our pistols and go to the point where the path reaches the mainland,” said Tim. “Oi would loike to be there whin the ridcoats get back.”
“Yes, let’s go at once,” said Miller. “But, if you don’t mind, we will go past the Santon home. It isn’t much out of our way, and I want them to know that I was rescued from the hands of the Tories and was not injured.”
“We’ll have plinty av toime to do thot, an’ thin get to our destination before the ridcoats get there,” said Tim.
So they set out, and presently reached the home of the Santons. The family was still up, and when they saw Miller, free and uninjured, they were delighted. When told that the two patriots, Tim Murphy and Fritz Schmockenburg, had rescued the teacher and driven the Tories away, after wounding three of them, the Santons shook hands with the patriot soldiers and complimented them on their good work.
Then Miller explained about the affair at the patriot settlement, how the patriots were on the island in the swamp, how the redcoats had followed them there, and that the sound of firing had come from that direction, so it was likely that a fight was taking place between the settlers and the redcoats.
“And we are going to the point where the path joins the mainland, so as to be there when the British soldiers return, with the hope that we may be able to learn how the affair came out,” said Miller in conclusion.
“I would go with you, but I think that I had better stay here, for fear those Tories, angry by the treatment these men gave them, might come here to get revenge on me,” said Mr. Santon.
“I would advise that you fasten the doors,” said Miller. “Though the rascals may not bother you.”
“Av they do come, ye foire two or three shots, an’ we’ll get here as quick as possible,” said Tim.
“Yah, ve vill come und shoots der Tories a few more times,” said Fritz.
“Very well, I will fire the signal shots, if the Tories put in an appearance,” said Mr. Santon.
Then the three said good-night and took their departure, promising to return after the redcoats came back out of the swamp and tell the Santons what had taken place on the island.
When the three reached a point near where the path stretched from, the mainland, they found all quiet, and settled down securely hidden to await the return of the enemy. The firing had ceased, and so the fight was either suspended or had ended.
The three were eager to learn whether the patriots had held the redcoats at bay and driven them back, or not, and hoped that such had been the case.
They sat there, talking in low tones, and keeping a sharp lookout toward the interior of the swamp, and presently they caught sight of a light bobbing about in the swamp. The redcoats were returning.
“We’ll soon know how the affair turned out,” said Miller.
“Yah, so ve vill,” said Fritz.
Closer and closer drew the light, and presently the voices of the soldiers could be heard distinctly. Listening eagerly, the three patriots learned that the redcoats had failed in their attempt to reach the island, and that they had been driven back with two or three of their number wounded.
“We had better move further back into the woods,” said Miller.
“Yis, thot will be best,” said Tim.
The three rose and made their way back into the forest a further distance of twenty-five or thirty yards, and took up positions behind trees. Here they stood, waiting, and when the redcoats came onto the mainland, and stopped and settled down, as if to make a camp for the night, the three slipped up nearer, and were enabled to hear the conversation of the British soldiers.
They learned how the redcoats had been driven back with comparative ease by the patriots on the island, owing to the fact that the path was so narrow only two or three of the soldiers could advance at a time. And they learned also that it was the intention of the redcoats to establish a siege and try to starve the patriots into surrendering.
“Sure, an’ the spalpanes are determined to get their han’s on the household goods av’ the patriots,” said Tim in a low voice to Miller, who replied in a whisper that such seemed to be the case.
Then, after a few minutes, the three patriots withdrew to a distance great enough so that their voices could not be heard by the redcoats, and held a council. After due consideration, it was decided that they could do no good by remaining there, and finally Tim was struck with a bright idea, which was that he or Fritz should return to the encampment of the patriot force and get a company of soldiers to come to the rescue of the settlers in the swamp. He wondered why he had not thought of it before.
“Which av us shall go, Fritz?” he asked.
“I vould go,” was the reply, “but you gan go faster as vot I gan, Tim, so mebby you vos better go.”
“All roight, I’ll go,” said Tim. “An’ you two fellows will go to the Santon home, Oi suppose.”
“Yes, we will go there, for to-night, at any rate,” replied Miller. “We could do nothing here, and we might be of assistance to Mr. Santon, if the Tories come back to bother him.”
“Yah, dot is so,” said Fritz.
“All roight. Well, I’ll be goin’. Good-by, me byes.”
They said good-by, and Tim set out through the woods in the direction of the patriot encampment, while Miller and Fritz made their way toward the home of the patriot, John Santon.
Miller and Fritz walked at a moderate pace, and when they drew near the Santon home, they heard the sound of pounding, as of somebody hammering against the door with a club. They hastened forward when they heard this, for they guessed that the Tories had again put in an appearance.
Such proved to be the case, for they heard a gruff voice calling to Santon to come and open the door or it would be broken down, and pistols in hand--Fritz having given one of his to Miller--they advanced till within about ten yards of the Tories, of whom there seemed to be five or six. Then pausing, they leveled their pistols and fired. Immediately afterward they dashed forward, yelling at the top of their voices.
The shots, followed by the yells of the two, coming so unexpectedly, startled the Tories greatly, and with exclamations of amazement and dismay they fled at the top of their speed, disappearing around the corner of the house very quickly.
The two patriots followed to the corner of the house, where they paused, shouting and yelling in the loudest and fiercest voice they could command. Then they listened and heard the brush crackling as the fugitives ran onward at the top of their speed.
“I don’t believe they will come back here again,” said Miller.
“I don’d vos think so, minesellufs,” responded Fritz.
Then they knocked on the door, and Miller called out: “Open the door, Mr. Santon. It is Miller and one of the patriot soldiers that was here a while ago.”
There was a sound of the bar being taken down within, and then the door was opened by Mr. Santon.
“Come in,” invited the patriot. “I’m glad you came just when you did, for those Tories were crying fierce threats, and would likely have handled me roughly, had they got hold of me.”
“Veil, uf dey don’d vos fall und break their necks runnin’ through der timber, id vill be funny,” said Fritz. “I don’d think dey vill be back to bother you again to-night.”
“I hope that you are right,” said the patriot, and then, when they had entered, he shut the door and put the bar in place again.
The other members of the family were still up, and they gave Miller and Fritz a joyous welcome. It was evident that they were glad to see the two, and that they felt much safer with them there.
“Did you learn how the affair at the island in the swamp turned out, Mr. Miller?” asked Lizzie Santon, eagerly.
“Yes,” was the reply. “The patriot settlers succeeded in driving the redcoats away.” And then he told what they had learned by listening to the conversation of the British soldiers after their return from their unsuccessful attempt to reach the island in the swamp.
“Oh, I am so glad to hear that the patriot families are safe!” exclaimed Mrs. Santon.
“Yes, but they are still in danger,” said Miller. And he told how the redcoats were going to keep up a siege. But he also told how Tim Murphy had gone to get a company of patriot soldiers to come and drive the raiders away, and rescue the patriots. He added that he did not have any doubts but that this would be done successfully.