But they, ignorant of all this, tramped steadily along mile after mile, stopping but once for a brief rest, and about nine o’clock that night delivered their message to the commander of the fort, Captain Abraham Swartwout.
He rubbed his hands gleefully when they told of reinforcements on the way.
“I can hold out until they get here, even if St. Leger sweeps down on me with his whole force,” he declared. “I don’t like that Indian business, though. It means burning and butchering all the way from Oswego here. Some one ought to go up along the road, warning the settlers, and telling them to come in here with their families for protection.”
“We will go,” the young scouts said in the same breath. “General Schuyler told us to remain as long as we could be of any service to you.”
“Well, rest to-night and to-morrow,” the captain replied, “for you need it. Monday morning I’ll send you out for the double purpose of warning the settlers, and watching the movements of the red-coats. I’ll arrange a set of signals by which you can let me know what is going on outside, without coming into the fort. You’ll run less risk of being discovered and shot down;” then he called an orderly who took them first to the mess room, where they were given supper, and then to the barracks. In an hour both were sleeping soundly.
The following day the young scouts “did nothin’ but sleep and eat,” as Late expressed it, but immediately after breakfast on Monday they went to the commander’s quarters. He received them kindly and led the way to one of the bastions. From there he pointed out a tall tree on a hill opposite, asking:
“Do you see that big pine?”
“Yes, sir,” the lads replied.
“It is across the river, and likely to be beyond the lines of the enemy when they are besieging the garrison. Here are four strips of cloth, red, black, white, and green, each of which will have a different meaning when tied in the top of that tree. The white will be taken that reinforcements are close at hand; the red, that they have been discovered and are about to be attacked; the green, that they need help; the black, that they have been defeated. The red and white will tell me that the Indians are deserting the British; the red and green, that the British are about to be attacked in the rear; the red and black, that they have been defeated; while the white and green will signify that they are advancing on the fort; and the white and black that they are preparing to give up the siege.”
The boys repeated these instructions until they had them fixed in mind, and then Joe said: