At this moment Ben Foster came running up. He was a manly-looking youth, and was lively and jolly as a rule. But now he was very sober-looking, for he realized that Dick, whose father had been captured by the Tories only the day before, was in no mood for jollity. There was an eager expression on Ben's face, however, and after greeting Dick, he asked:
“Are you really going to join the Continental army, Dick, you and Tom!”
“Yes, Ben,” was the reply.
“Well, say, I'm going to go with you,” declared Ben.
“Oh, Ben!” exclaimed Elsie. “What will father say?”
“Father's all right, sis. He is a king's man, everybody knows that, but he is reasonable, and lets other people think as they like. He knows that I'm a patriot, and he won't object.”
Dick's face lighted up, for he liked Ben very much, and the idea of having him along was a pleasing one.
“That would be fine, Ben,” he said. “But I wouldn't want you to do anything contrary to the wishes of your father.”
“Oh, that will be all right,” Ben assured him. “He won't care, I am sure.”
“Goodness, what will Mary do if you go away?” said Elsie. Ben seemed to think as much of Mary Dare as Dick did of Elsie, and he flushed slightly at his sister's words, and then retorted: