“Oh, well, you may go, then,” laughed the captain, “but be careful, and don’t get captured yourself.”
“We’ll be careful, captain, sure an’ we will.”
“Very well.”
Tim thanked the captain, hastened back and reported his success to Fritz, who was delighted. They made prompt preparations, and a few minutes later they set out.
They started in a different direction from that taken by the boys, but Tim and Fritz were not very good at woodcraft, and gradually their course was changed, till finally unwittingly they were following almost in the steps of the three youths. They supposed, agreeable to their proposal, that they were going in an entirely different direction.
Thus it happened that Tim and Fritz came to the top of the ridge, from which the three youths had seen the camp of the party of redcoats, and reaching there about an hour after the youths had left. They stopped to rest, and soon caught sight of the redcoats, in the same manner as the youths had done.
They were greatly excited at once. “Sure an’ we’ve found thim alriddy!” exclaimed Tim.
“Yah, dot is so,” agreed Fritz. “But dere are not many dere, Tim. Dis is not der big encampment.”
“Ye are roight, Fritz. This is a small party thot is out on a foraging expedition, loikely.”
“Ve must sby on dem, Tim, und find ouid vot dey are doin’ here,” said Fritz.