CHAPTER XVI—The Bottle of Cider
The girls uttered cries of fear and ran into the other room. The young men stood their ground, but made no move to interfere. Doubtless they sympathized with the three youths--with the exception of Ralph Hicks--but did not feel like trying to fight ten British soldiers, for the sake of the three almost strangers.
Dick Dare realized that it would be foolish to try to resist or attempt an escape. The redcoats were within arm’s-length of them, armed with pistols, and to try to get away would be to get bullets in their bodies before they were out of the room.
So he said: “We surrender. Don’t shoot,” and the sergeant nodded and said:
“That’s sensible. Turn your backs to us and place your hands behind you.”
The patriot youths obeyed, and the redcoats quickly bound their wrists with cord that was brought to them by Mr. Hart, the man of the house, at their command. It was easy to see that he did not like this, but the redcoats were strong enough so that they could do as they wished, and protest would avail nothing.
The three prisoners were placed in the kitchen, in one corner, and the sergeant confronted them, saying: “So you rebels are down here from the North with an army, are you?”
“Yes,” replied Dick, quietly.
“What do you think you are going to do?”
“We are going to make it warm for Arnold and his troops,” said Dick.
The sergeant smiled sarcastically. “I don’t think you will have much to do with it,” he said. “You are going with us to our camp, when we leave here, and to-morrow we will rejoin the main army, and Arnold will likely string you up to a tree, as I have heard him speak of you as being a rebel spy.”
“You haven’t got us to this encampment yet,” said Dick, calmly.
“Bah. How came you to be here to-night?”
“That is our business.”
“You won’t answer, eh?”
“No.”
“All right. It don’t make any difference, anyway. We’ve got you, now, so you can’t do whatever you had the intention of doing. I judge that likely you were searching for Arnold’s encampment.”
“Oh, possibly.”
“Well, you won’t have to search any longer. We’ll see that you get there, to-morrow--and that you stay a while, my fine young rebel.”
“Thanks,” said Dick, sarcastically.
Then the sergeant placed a redcoat on guard, to see that the prisoners made no attempt to escape, after which he returned to the front room, and the dancing was started up again, and went on with seeming merriment. But the fact was, that the young people were not enjoying themselves as much as had been the case before the advent of the redcoats.
Sally Hart was a bright, shrewd girl. She had noted the fact that Ralph Hicks and the sergeant had left the room together a while before the three patriot youths were made prisoners, and she guessed that Hicks had told the sergeant that the three youths were patriot soldiers. She summoned Hicks to her side, and whispered to him that she wanted him to come out of doors with her, that she had something to say to him privately, and he followed her out.
When they were a short distance from the house, Sally turned and said, somewhat sternly: “Ralph, why did you tell that sergeant that the Dare Boys and Ben Foster were patriot soldiers, and cause them to be made prisoners?”
“I--why, Sally, I didn’t--”
“Ralph Hicks, you know you did tell him!” interrupted Sally. “And, now, why did you do it?”
“Well, Sally,” was the reply, in a desperate tone, “if you must know, I did it because you--because, well, you seemed to like Dick Dare, that’s why. You danced with him four or five times, and I didn’t get to dance with you once.”
“So that is the reason!” There was anger and scorn in the girl’s voice. “I danced with Dick Dare several times because he is a good dancer, and because he is a stranger, and our guest. And you had to go and get jealous and hand him over to the redcoats. Ralph Hicks, I have a good mind to never speak to you again!”
“I’m sorry, Sally,” said Hicks. “I--well, I was kind of mad at Dick Dare, and--and, yes, jealous of him. I wish you were not angry with me, Sally.”
“I am angry, Ralph,” was the grim reply. “And there is just one way that you can get me over my angry feeling toward you.”
“How is that, Sally?” eagerly.
“By securing the freedom of Dick and Tom Dare and Ben Foster.”
Hicks was silent a few moments, and then said: “I can’t do that, Sally. The redcoats have the three prisoners, and how could I get them out of their hands?”
“I don’t know, that’s your problem, but if you want me to ever speak to you, after to-night, you must get those three young men free. You were the cause of their being made prisoners, and it is your place to rescue them.”
“But, how will I do it, Sally?”
“I don’t know, I’m sure.”
“If you will help me,” said Hicks, presently, after a period of pondering, “perhaps I might manage it.”
“What could I do?”
“I’ll tell you. You have some mighty fine cider in the cellar, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ll get a bottle of the cider, and will be out here with it, and you tell the soldier that is guarding the prisoners that if he will step out of doors, I will give him some cider. And when he comes out, you cut the ropes and free the prisoners, and they can rush out, knock the redcoat over and make their escape.”
“But, won’t the redcoat wonder why the cider isn’t brought into the room and given to him there?”
“Tell him there is only one bottle, and that the other soldiers would want some of it, too, if they saw him drinking.”
“Very well,” said Sally, after a few moments of silence, “we will try that plan. Go down into the cellar and get a bottle of the cider.”
“And--Sally.”
“Well?”
“If we succeed in setting the prisoners free, you’ll--you won’t be angry with me, will you?”
“I’ll see about it, Ralph. Now, go and get the cider.”
Hicks said, “All right,” and then lifted the cellar-door and made his way down into the cellar. He got a bottle of the cider, and when he got back up, and had closed the cellar-door, the redcoat was just emerging from the kitchen.
“Here,” said Hicks, his voice trembling slightly. “Here is the cider.”
“All right, young man, and thank you,” said the redcoat. He stepped to Hicks’ side, and took the bottle, and placed it to his mouth.
A few moments later the door of the kitchen opened again, and Dick and Tom Dare and Ben Foster leaped forth. The redcoat heard them and started to turn around, but Dick Dare, who was in the lead, sprang upon the British soldier with all his force, and the redcoat was hurled sprawling to the earth, the bottle flying from his hand.
The red coat was hurled sprawling.
Then the three youths dashed away, into the edge of the timber at the rear of the house.
The redcoat was not injured, excepting that he had been jarred by falling, and he scrambled to his feet, caught sight of the youths running, and jerking out a pistol, he fired a shot after the fugitives, and yelled loudly:
“Quick, comrades! The prisoners have escaped!”