Dick was an expert in woodcraft, and he felt that he would be able to get away without being seen, if the redcoats stood there conversing for a sufficient length of time. With this hope in his mind he kept on crawling, and when he was perhaps fifty yards away, he rose cautiously to his feet, keeping a tree between himself and his enemies, and looked back to see what they were doing. The two were just entering the edge of the forest, but were still engaged in conversation and did not have eyes for anything about them, so Dick fortunately was not in much danger of being seen. He hastened back to where he had left Tom and Ben, and told them what he had heard. They were eager and excited, and said they were glad that Dick had succeeded in learning the plans of the party of British whom they had chanced upon. “What are we going to do?” asked Tom. “Shall one of us go back to our encampment and bring a party of soldiers to attack the British?” “It would be impossible to get a party of our soldiers here before midnight or even later,” determined Dick. “It will be dark in a couple of hours, and then the redcoats will likely go the settlement to plunder and burn the houses.” “Yes, it must be twenty miles, at least, to our encampment,” admitted Ben. “Yes,” continued Dick, “and so the only thing for us to do is to go to the settlement as quickly as possible, and warn the patriots.” “That will be the best plan,” acquiesced Tom. “Let’s start at once, boys.” “All right. We may lose a little time looking for the settlement, so we had better start now.” They set out, but made a detour and went around the encampment of the British soldiers, keeping at a distance, so as not to be seen. And when on the other side of the camp, they walked rapidly in the direction that they believed would take them to the patriot settlement. They searched around more than an hour, and finally caught sight of the houses of the settlement, through a clearing. With exclamations of satisfaction, they hastened forward. They were not long in reaching the settlement, and going to about the largest house, one of them knocked on the door. The door was opened by a man of middle age, who eyed the youths curiously. “How are you, sir?” said Dick, while Tom and Ben nodded a greeting. “Is this a patriot settlement?” The man started. “Why do you ask?” he queried. “Because, if such is the case, we have some important information for you.” “What is the information?” The man looked eagerly at the youths. “There is a party of British soldiers encamped a couple of miles from here, sir,” said Dick. “We spied on them and overheard them talking, and it is their plan to come here soon after dark, plunder your houses and then set fire to them. We hastened here to tell you the news.” “And you did well, young men. I thank you, in the name of the people of the settlement. Who are you, and where are you from?”