"The river is full of the pesky British!" muttered Bob. "I am not sure that it would not be safer to go ashore."
"We are sure of our road here, Bob," laughed Dick, "but we would not be, on shore. I think we had better stick to the river for a time, until dawn, at any rate."
"H'm! it can't be far from it, then, for I never knew it to be thundering dark," growled Bob.
The boys laughed and went on less rapidly, that being the safest course. They took turns rowing, and so no one became over-fatigued and all had a chance to warm up, the mists of the river being very chilly and damp. At length it grew light enough to see the obstructions in the river just ahead of them, and they set about getting through and going on. Dick would have gone ashore, but he saw tents and the gleam of scarlet uniforms on shore, and concluded that it would be better to remain longer on the river. The boats had much less trouble in getting past the obstructions than a ship would have had, and they got through at length, with some trouble, being seen by the redcoats on shore, however, it being very much lighter by this time.
The enemy raised a great shout, but they had no boats, and all they could do was to run along shore and shout, firing a volley now and then, which did no damage and only set the echoes to answering.
"They had better keep quiet," sputtered Bob. "The first thing we know they will wake up everybody along shore, and we will have some trouble in making a landing."
"I think we might do it before long, Bob," Dick returned. "A run will do us good after being on the river so many hours."
"All right, Dick, and if we can give the redcoats a run the right way, so much the better."
Farther on, around a bend of the river, the redcoats being now out of sight, the boys rowed in to shore and made a landing. They had left their muskets behind, but they all had their pistols and were ready to give the redcoats as lively a reception as they could. The boats were left to go adrift, and then, led by Dick, who knew the way thoroughly, they set out for their own lines, which Dick judged would be somewhere below Fort Washington. On they went, and all at once came upon a party of the enemy hurrying to intercept them.
"Fire, Liberty Boys!" shouted Dick. "Scatter the redcoats, drive them off the island, hurl them into the river!"