“I guess you are going to get out, all right, Mr. Dare,” said Miller. “There is lots of suction to that bog, though.” “Yes. You are gradually pulling me up, and if I can get to that tree, I’ll be all right.” “I’ll get you there in a few minutes, Mr. Dare.” Miller kept on pulling till he got Dick out of the bog, and then he worked his way back to the main body of the tree, while Dick worked his way along on the top of the bog, and presently reached the tree. Here he stood, holding to the tree, while he rested for a few minutes, and then he climbed up among the branches, and was soon beside Miller. “Thank you, very much, stranger,” Dick said. “You have saved my life.” “I guess that’s so,” was the reply. “But you are welcome, and I am glad to have been able to render you assistance. All the more because you are a friend of Fritz, yonder, so he has told me, and he and his comrade, Tim Murphy, rescued me from a situation almost as unpleasant as the one I have rescued you from.” “Indeed? I am surprised to see Fritz. I left him at the patriot encampment twenty miles from here, yesterday.” “Yes. Well, he and his comrade, Tim Murphy, came to this region yesterday and they rescued me from the hands of a party of Tories that were going to give me a whipping with switches. They had already given me a coat of tar and feathers the same afternoon a few hours before.” “Then of course you are a patriot.” “Yes. I am the school-teacher at the school about a mile from the Tory settlement, and about two miles from the patriot settlement. But the Tories don’t like me, because I took the part of the patriot children at the school, when the Tory children were running over them, and so they did as I have told you.” “I suppose you won’t teach school there any more, then?” enquired Dick. “No. I hardly know what I shall do.” “Better join the patriot army,” urged Dick. “I might do that. I’ll think about it anyway.” Then, Dick having rested sufficiently, in the meantime having gotten his clothing into more presentable and comfortable shape, they began climbing from tree to tree, and presently joined Fritz on the end of the pathway. “I’m glad to see you safe ouid uf der bog, Dick,” said Fritz, seizing the youth’s hand and shaking it vigorously. “I was afraid dot ve gould not ged you ouid.” “I’m mighty glad you two happened around just when you did,” said Dick. “But where is Tim?” “He vent back to der engampment last nighd,” was the reply. “He is going to bring some uf der solchers here to drive der retcoats avay und let der patriot settlers come back out uf der swamp.” “Hurrah! That is good. The soldiers ought to get here pretty soon, then, if he went last night.” “Yah, dey vill get here pretty soonness, Dick.” “Good. Then we will go back to the mainland, and meet them.”