“Some building is on fire,” his grandson explained and ran out.
David Daggett followed in the direction of the blaze his hands had kindled. The lean-to was gone; one side of the house was a mass of flames, and with an exulting cry on his lips: “The rebel will burn! the rebel will burn!” he hastened to join the crowd that had collected around the doomed building.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE DRAWN BATTLE.
Dan Cushing was not to be turned from his purpose even when he found that his friend had already entered the British lines. His only question was as to how he could get there? He had not been seen by the guard, and, drawing back into the woods, he walked cautiously along to learn how far it might be to the next picket. To his delight he discovered that the sentinels were several rods apart, and each had been stationed on a ridge, with a small hollow, running directly up into the encampment, between them. Lying down in a thicket, he waited.
Slowly the minutes passed. Not until it was dark did he make a move. Then, as noiselessly as an Indian, he crept into the hollow, and again paused. No other sound than the regular tread of the soldiers as they tramped to and fro on their beat came to his ears; but both were coming toward him, and, hugging close to the ground, he remained motionless.
As he suspected, they did not enter the gully, but, on gaining the opposite banks, called to each other, and then turned to retrace their steps. Waiting until their footsteps had nearly died away, he arose and ran swiftly, but without noise, up to the higher ground. He was beyond earshot before the guards again hailed each other, and within the enemy’s lines.
Unacquainted with the formation of the camp, it required some time for him to locate the headquarters of the commander, and, when he had done this, he was just in time to see a prisoner in the hands of four or five soldiers brought forth and hurried to a log hut. Keeping far enough from the squad to remain unnoticed, yet near enough to hear the conversation, he learned beyond all doubt that the arrested man was his chief.
The arrest of the young scout, and the reason for it, soon became known in that part of the encampment, and created no little excitement. It was discussed in tents and barracks, and even at the guard-house, therefore it became easy for the lad to ascertain two facts without in any way attracting attention to himself. He learned that his friend was to be tried the next morning as a spy, and that the general opinion was the trial would be but a form; the condemnation and execution certain.
Perhaps this fact prevented the soldiers from taking the punishment of the prisoner into their own hands. Dan, hearing their comments, realized they were thoroughly angered with the lad who had so completely hoodwinked officers and men for weeks, thwarting their purposes and overwhelming them with misfortunes. But what seemed to anger them more than all, was the identity of the lad.
“To think that that rebel general sent his own son into the tent of our commander, and knew all about his plans before we did, is enough to make the pope swear,” Captain Howell said to a group of officers. “I don’t forget that the young rascal twice pulled wool over my eyes, and I’d like the privilege of putting the rope around his neck.”