"All right; down with him. But I wouldn't think the rebels would send out such a young one to do spy-work."

"Well, the general thinks he's a spy, and that settles it."

"It certainly does so far as I am concerned. Down with him."

The hatch was opened, and Tom was a.s.sisted down the ladder to the bottom of the hold, and then leaving him there, with his hands still tied together behind his back, the soldiers mounted the ladder and put the hatch in place, leaving Tom in complete darkness.

As he realized his situation, a shudder went over the youth's form.

"I don't like this!" he murmured.

Chapter XII

d.i.c.k Does Wonderful Work

d.i.c.k Dare had been afraid that General Percy might connect him with Tom, and suspect that they were in the neighborhood together, but such a thought evidently did not come to the commander, for happily he seemed to dismiss the matter from his mind when the soldiers departed with the boy. He again busied himself with some writing.

When d.i.c.k noted this, he breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been bad indeed had he been then suspected and made a prisoner, the same as had been the case with Tom. With them both in the old prison-hulk, escape would have been difficult, in fact well-nigh impossible, but with d.i.c.k free to work from the outside, it was different. The youth believed that he might be able to rescue his brother and the other prisoners in the prison-ship, and he was fully decided to make the attempt that very night.

The afternoon dragged slowly along. d.i.c.k could hardly wait for nightfall, for he was eager to get to work. He thought the afternoon never would end.

But it did, at last, and after he had eaten supper, he began mentally reviewing the task that lay before him. The first thing to do would be to get away from the encampment, and he decided to do this at once. He had laid his plans, and going to the colonel, he asked permission to take a walk.

"I am not used to camplife, sir," he said; "and I feel the need of a little exercise. If not contrary to the rules, I would like to take a walk of a mile or so in the country."

"I guess it will be all right," was the reply. "Go ahead, but don't stay too long."

"I won't, sir. Thank you."

d.i.c.k walked boldly out of the encampment, and in order to disarm suspicion, in case his action should occasion comment, he went toward the east. To have started north might have aroused suspicion that he was heading for New York.

"Where away, comrade?" queried the sentinel at the east side of the encampment.

"Oh, out for a little walk for exercise," replied d.i.c.k, carelessly.

"All right. The Countersign is 'The King Rules'."

"Thank you," said d.i.c.k. "I'll not forget."

He walked slowly on, as if merely taking a leisurely stroll, but as soon as he was out of sight of the sentinel and others, he changed to a swift pace, and turning, headed toward the prison-ships in the bay.

"Now for business!" he murmured, grimly. "I'll have the patriot prisoners out of that old hulk before many hours, or I'll know the reason why!"

He hastened onward, but paused frequently and listened intently. He did not want to meet any force of British soldiers then for it would have been awkward work explaining his presence.

He was fortunate, however, in that he did not encounter any redcoats, and in considerably less than an hour he was at the sh.o.r.e, near where the prison-ships were anch.o.r.ed.

"Now the next thing is to get aboard the hulk," was d.i.c.k's thought.

This would be difficult, for the reason that there was a sentinel on the deck. To reach the hulk and climb aboard without being seen by this sentinel was a task that would be hard to accomplish. But d.i.c.k did not hesitate. He was brave, and eager to rescue his brother and the other patriot spies and soldiers, and so he located an old boat, got in, and then pulled slowly and carefully toward the prison-ship, which could be faintly seen looming up a couple of hundred yards distant on the water.

d.i.c.k felt that the chances were that the sentinel would have his attention directed toward the sh.o.r.e, and so he made a half-circuit and approached from the other side. He rowed slowly and cautiously, making scarcely any noise at all, and was successful in reaching the hulk without having been discovered. d.i.c.k had rightly guessed that the sentinel was at the other side, doubtless keeping a lookout sh.o.r.eward.

d.i.c.k felt around in the boat, and found a rope-ladder, with hooks on one end, and with the aid of a boathook, he managed to get the hooks caught over the ship's rail. This accomplished, he stood there and listened intently. He feared he might have been heard by the sentinel.

Such did not seem to be the case, however, for all was quiet aboard, and presently the youth began making his way slowly and cautiously up the ladder. He kept on till his head was even with the top of the rail, and then he gazed about, trying to locate the sentinel. It was so dark, however, that he could not see the redcoat, and feeling that the coast was reasonably clear, d.i.c.k climbed on up, and over the rail, and a moment later stood on the deck.

So far all was well. He had escaped from the British encampment, had reached the prison-hulk, and was on board. Now to overpower the sentinel and rescue the prisoners.

The youth paused only long enough to tie the boat's painter to the rail, and then he slowly and cautiously made his way along the deck, going toward the bow. He reached the end of the cabin, moved quietly around it, and then started in the other direction. He went with still greater caution now, for he realized that at any moment he might come upon the British sentinel.

d.i.c.k knew that there were two soldiers on board all the time, and that they took turns at standing guard, so one would be on deck and the other would likely be in the cabin asleep. To capture the one guard, without making a noise that would be heard by the other would be a difficult matter, but d.i.c.k was not the kind of youth to be dismayed by difficulties. Their presence only made him the more determined.

He advanced carefully, and suddenly he caught sight of a shadowy form a few feet ahead of him. It was the sentinel, undoubtedly, and luckily for d.i.c.k, the redcoat's back was partially toward him, and the soldier was gazing in almost the opposite direction from that in which d.i.c.k was approaching.

The youth, after a keen survey of the form, decided that the redcoat's back was toward him, and so advanced a couple of steps, as silently as a shadow. He was now close upon the man, and reaching out suddenly, he grasped the fellow by the throat with both hands, and raising his knee quickly, struck the soldier in the small of the back, and threw him with a twisting motion to the deck; then dropping upon the fallen man, d.i.c.k compressed his windpipe, gripping it with all his might.

Although but eighteen years of age, d.i.c.k Dare was stronger than the majority of men. He was naturally powerful, and his life on the farm had been such as to develop his strength and endurance, and so it happened that he was easily more than a match for the British soldier.

The fact that this fellow had been taken completely by surprise worked to his disadvantage, too, and although he struggled hard, he was unable to do anything, and the gripping fingers, compressing his windpipe like bands of steel, gradually weakened him, for he was unable to get his breath. Neither could he cry out, and the result was that in about three minutes from the time d.i.c.k had seized the redcoat, the fellow was lying unconsciously on the deck-choked into insensibility.

Feeling confident the sentinel would remain unconscious some time, d.i.c.k left the form lying there, and entered the cabin in search of the other soldier. A snore sounding from a stateroom at one side guided the youth, so he entered the compartment, and seizing this redcoat by the throat, as he had the other, d.i.c.k quickly choked him into limp insensibility. This accomplished, he went out on deck, dragged the other redcoat into the cabin, and into the stateroom. Closing the door, he locked them in.

"I don't think they will be able to get out of there, even if they regain consciousness before I get to the prisoners," thought d.i.c.k.

Then he went out on deck again and hunted around till he found the hatchway. Removing the covering, he looked down into the hold, but could see nothing, the darkness there being even greater than on the deck.

"h.e.l.lo, down there!" he called. "Are you there, Tom!"

"d.i.c.k! Oh, is it really you?" came the reply, in the excited voice of Tom Dare.

"Yes, it is I," was the reply. "How many are there with you, Tom? Is father there?"

"No, d.i.c.k, father isn't here. Come down and free us, quick!" eagerly.

"There are twelve of us here, it is a terrible place,-slimy and foul-smelling, and there are rats, insects and worms, ugh!"

"Climb up the ladder," instructed d.i.c.k. "Surely you are not bound."

"Our hands are tied. That's what I meant by telling you to come down and free us, d.i.c.k."

"I'll be with you in moment, Tom."

d.i.c.k hastened down the ladder, and was soon standing beside Tom, who had scrambled to his feet. He quickly cut the rope binding his brother's wrists, and then asked where the other prisoners were.

"Here," replied a hoa.r.s.e voice. "We are right at hand, d.i.c.k Dare, and glad to welcome you. Your brother has told us about you, and we have been hoping you would succeed in freeing us, though we feared you might not be able to do so. But you seem to have succeeded, thank G.o.d!

I am Joseph Boswick," he continued, "one of the spies sent down here by General Washington to secure information regarding the British.

There are three more spies, and seven patriot soldiers and all of us are eager to get out of this terrible hole, as you may well believe."