CHAPTER XXI—Tom Reconnoiters
Herbert Miller left the patriot encampment about the middle of the afternoon, and went to the Santon home, where he was given a cordial greeting by Mr. and Mrs. Santon and Lizzie.
“You are not teaching school, now, Mr. Miller?” said Mr. Santon, with a smile.
“No,” was the reply, “I guess that I won’t teach any more for a while. I have joined the patriot army.”
“I am glad to hear that.”
“You will be safe from the hands of the Tories of the settlement, anyway,” said Lizzie.
“Yes,” said Miller, “but I don’t believe you folks had better stay here. There will be a battle between the British and our army, possibly to-morrow, and it may take place right in this vicinity. So I have come to have you folks return with me to the patriot settlement, where you will be safe.”
“Do you really think we would be in danger here?” asked Mrs. Santon.
“Yes I do,” replied the young man. “When the battle begins, bullets will fly pretty thick, and as our army has two or three field-pieces, there may be a few cannon-balls flying through the air, and if the battle was to take place near here, the house might be riddled. You folks would doubtless be injured and would stand a chance, I fear, even to lose your lives.”
“Then let us go to the settlement with Mr. Miller,” said Mrs. Santon, who was of a somewhat nervous disposition.
“Very well,” said Mr. Santon. And then they gathered together such of the household effects as they might require, and set out for the settlement.
The Santons had friends in the settlement, and were taken into the home of one of the residents. Herbert Miller was much better satisfied than he would have been had they remained in their home.
That evening and night passed quietly, but Dick Dare did not put in an appearance.
“I fear he has been captured,” said Colonel Morris addressing the captain of Dick’s company. The latter nodded, and said that it seemed probable that this was the case.
They were still talking about this matter, when the orderly announced Tom Dare, and a few moments later Tom was in the room.
“Well, my boy, what is it?” asked the colonel.
“I have come to ask what you think about Dick not having returned,” said Tom.
“We were just discussing the matter,” was the reply. “What do you think about it?”
“It looks as if Dick has been made a prisoner, sir,” was the reply.
“That is what we thought.”
“Yes, and I have come to ask if I may go and reconnoiter the British encampment. Perhaps I may be able to learn something.”
“Yes, you may go. But be discreet, and don’t yourself fall into their clutches.”
“I will be careful, sir.”
Then Tom saluted and withdrew, and was soon making his way through the forest in the direction of the Tory settlement and British encampment.
He passed the Santon home, and later on the schoolhouse where Herbert Miller had taught, and presently he came in sight of the settlement.
He paused and took a careful survey of the surroundings, and then, after a few moments he made his way around and approached the British encampment.
He moved forward till as close as he thought he dared venture, then he paused behind a big tree and began a careful study of the camp.
He could see the redcoats lolling about in the tents, but he did not see any signs of Dick, nor did he see any soldiers acting as if guarding any one of the tents, in which a prisoner might be placed. Tom was puzzled.
“I fear Dick is surely in there, a prisoner,” he murmured. “Well, if he is, I can’t rescue him. Now, what shall I do?”
He decided to stay around in the vicinity and keep watch on the encampment. The redcoats might make some kind of a move, and he could then carry the information to Colonel Morris.
It was slow work for Tom, who was of a lively, active disposition, but by leaving his post occasionally and taking a walk through the timber a distance of a mile or so, and then returning, he managed to stick to the work.
When noon came, he grew hungry, but had not thought to bring food with him, so he had to go without any. He stood it till about the middle of the afternoon, and then as everything was quiet in the camp, he decided to return to the patriot encampment and get something to eat, make his report to Colonel Morris, and then once more to resume his self-imposed task. He must determine what had become of his brother.
This he did, and when he had reported and had feasted to his heart’s content, he fixed up a package of provisions and again set out. He told Miller and Ben Foster that he might remain away till morning. Ben wanted to accompany him, but Tom said he could reconnoiter better alone, and so Ben remained at the camp.
Tom was back in the vicinity of the British encampment in about an hour’s time, and approaching cautiously, took up his position behind a tree and watched the redcoats.
Everything seemed quiet, and he decided that they did not intend making any move that day. After supper that evening, however, he noted that the soldiers began to move about energetically, that they were examining their muskets, and seemed to be getting ready for an enterprise of some kind.
“I believe that under cover of the night they are going to make an attack on the patriot army,” was his thought. “If so, I must get there ahead of them and warn Colonel Morris.”
Presently there could be no doubt that the British were going to make a move, and Tom waited eagerly till they left the camp and marched cautiously in the direction of the patriot encampment. Then he set out on the run in the same direction. He made a detour, however, to get around the British and he ran so swiftly that in about half an hour he was at camp headquarters, and promptly made his report.
“So the British are coming to attack us!” exclaimed the colonel. “Well, all right. We’ll be ready for them.” Then he gave instructions to the various officers, and soon the patriot soldiers were arranged in the best possible positions to repel the attack of the enemy.
Ten or fifteen minutes later the redcoats appeared, and came charging through the settlement, firing their muskets as they came.
Thanks to the warning they had received of the coming of the British, however, the patriots were not taken by surprise, and the former’s fire was returned.
And then the crash of the musketry and the occasional roar of the cannon made a terrible din on the night air.
The battle between the British and the patriots was on.