"If it don't rain, it'll be a foine day, Oi'm thinkin'," said Tim, cutting short Tom's comment and plans as the young southerner came into sight.
"Do you know, Tom, there are some parties, mentionin' no names, moind ye, that are certainly very nosy around these parts."
"And I'm thinkin', my young rebel, that there'll be two young spies less 'nosey' before a great while," rejoined the youth. "For one, I shall be glad to see the end of you."
"Phat a happy party it would be with anither wan loike you about," replied Tim, looking for further trouble with their enemy.
But the youth chose to ignore him, and hurried on to the major, with the two boys following.
"Well," asked the officer, when they had come up, "what have you decided?"
"There wasn't much to decide," replied Tom. "We shall have to obey your orders, but we shall do so under protest, and shall report the matter to the representatives of the crown when we get back to Philadelphia."
"I represent His Majesty, here," said the major, "and your complaints will do no good. We are, I understand, approaching the spot which has been selected for you to perform your duty in, and you will soon be called upon to do your part and prove your assertion that you are not spies."
"We'll do our part," said Tom, grimly, and thought at the same time that perhaps that part would be a counter surprise to the major.
The morning was well advanced before they finally came to a sharp rise in the trail, and after a half hour of climbing, they reached the summit of the ridge. The party ahead of them seemed to have scattered where the trail began to rise, and they were unable to find any trace of them on the upper ridge of the mountain.