"'Go on,' said the colonel, 'explain your over long absence.' "'That was the cause of it,' continued the captain. 'I received word that the last two men, the only ones left of our enemies had been seen about my house and that my wife and two children were in danger. I hurried to their aid. In crossing the pass I lost my musket and succeeded only in reaching my house in the dark, without any firearm. There was but one old gun in the house, and, worse luck, there was but one charge for that. However, our enemies who were trying to starve out my family, didn't know of my arrival. I waited day after day, hoping, sometime, to get them both in line and to kill them with but a single shot. Day after day they went for water at the well, and lurked about the grounds around the house, but never did the chance I was waiting for present itself. Then finally, on the eleventh day of my furlough, the opportunity came. And now they are both gone and I am here.' "The colonel's face beamed with pleasure, for his confidence in the captain had been justified. "'Thornton is captain of Troop B now,' said the colonel. 'Your leave of absence was, I remember, for twenty days, not ten. Good-night, major.'" "So," cried Tom, "he was not only forgiven for his overstay of leave, but promoted in rank?" "Thot's a strange story for sure," muttered Tim. "And you say it's true?" "Absolutely," replied the British soldier, and his two old comrades nodded their assent. In the meantime the men were preparing for their night's rest. In a very few minutes the whole troop was asleep. CHAPTER X. TELCA. Dick and Fritz, not wishing to lose any valuable time, struck out along the shore of the bay, keeping in the shallow places and thus concealing their tracks. They searched vainly for a boat or any craft that would move them out of the path of the pursuing English troopers, but for half a mile they discovered nothing at all. "The activity of the troops in this section must have forced everybody who owns a boat to hide it very securely," said Dick. "Yah, and if we should get away from those fellars, and to the other shores we would have to do it svimming, I guess," replied Fritz. "We'll get swimming enough without going out into the bay for it," said Dick. "Here we are at a creek and no way to get past but to swim for it right now." "I hear someding," whispered Fritz suddenly, and the two boys dodged back into the marsh grasses at the mouth of the creek. After hurriedly making themselves as inconspicuous as possible, they peered out through the grass to see what it was had alarmed them. The boys were by no means frightened, but neither of them wanted to fall into the hands of a larger party of the enemy after their recent escape. "It's something going up the creek," said Dick. "Sounds to me like paddling!" "Maype here is where we get our canoe yet," Fritz said, hopefully.