This he did, and when he had reported and had feasted to his heart’s content, he fixed up a package of provisions and again set out. He told Miller and Ben Foster that he might remain away till morning. Ben wanted to accompany him, but Tom said he could reconnoiter better alone, and so Ben remained at the camp. Tom was back in the vicinity of the British encampment in about an hour’s time, and approaching cautiously, took up his position behind a tree and watched the redcoats. Everything seemed quiet, and he decided that they did not intend making any move that day. After supper that evening, however, he noted that the soldiers began to move about energetically, that they were examining their muskets, and seemed to be getting ready for an enterprise of some kind. “I believe that under cover of the night they are going to make an attack on the patriot army,” was his thought. “If so, I must get there ahead of them and warn Colonel Morris.” Presently there could be no doubt that the British were going to make a move, and Tom waited eagerly till they left the camp and marched cautiously in the direction of the patriot encampment. Then he set out on the run in the same direction. He made a detour, however, to get around the British and he ran so swiftly that in about half an hour he was at camp headquarters, and promptly made his report. “So the British are coming to attack us!” exclaimed the colonel. “Well, all right. We’ll be ready for them.” Then he gave instructions to the various officers, and soon the patriot soldiers were arranged in the best possible positions to repel the attack of the enemy. Ten or fifteen minutes later the redcoats appeared, and came charging through the settlement, firing their muskets as they came. Thanks to the warning they had received of the coming of the British, however, the patriots were not taken by surprise, and the former’s fire was returned. And then the crash of the musketry and the occasional roar of the cannon made a terrible din on the night air. The battle between the British and the patriots was on. CHAPTER XXII—The Battle It was a lively battle, indeed, for the British, being considerably stronger than the patriots, evidently thought they could defeat them, but the defenders were in a strategically good position. They sent back volley for volley, and had the advantage of the field-pieces, and so after a battle of about an hour and a half the redcoats retreated, carrying their dead and wounded with them. The patriot loss was twelve killed and sixteen wounded, and they were pretty sure that the British had suffered a greater loss than this. When the battle was over, it was found by the soldiers in Captain Morgan’s company that Tom Dare was missing. At first it was feared that he had been killed, but his body was not found, and when the captain made inquiries of the youth’s comrades, they said that they did not remember having seen him during the battle.