Tom and Ben entered the house, and Dick made his way around to the front, and after listening a few moments, heard the voices of the British soldiers, as they made their way through the woods, toward their encampment.
He followed a couple of hundred yards, and then, feeling sure that the redcoats would not return, he went back to the house and entered the kitchen, where Tom and Ben were already seated at the table, eating.
Dick took a place beside them, and Sally waited on the three, while the young folks stood around, asking questions about the manner in which the young patriot soldiers had escaped from their pursuers.
When the three had finished their supper, the young folks said they would be going home, and they shook hands with Dick, Tom and Ben and said good-night and went to their homes.
Mr. Hart invited the three patriot youths to spend the night there, and they accepted the invitation, though Dick said they would want to leave early in the morning, so as to get to the encampment of the party of British soldiers before they broke camp and started away, as it was his intention to follow them to the main encampment of the British.
“I’ll get you up as early as you like,” said Mr. Hart.
The youths were given blankets, and lay on the floor in the big front room, and slept soundly. They were up early, and found that Mrs. Hart and Sally had been up some time, and that they had breakfast on the table.
Dick told them that they need not have gone to this trouble, but they said it was a pleasure to them. The three youths ate heartily, and then said good-by. They took their departure, promising that they would call at the Hart home, if ever they were in the vicinity again.
They made their way to the vicinity of the British encampment, and found the redcoats just astir and that they were getting their breakfast.
“We are in plenty of time,” said Dick. “We will stay here, where we can keep a good watch on them, and when they break camp and leave, we will follow them.”