Dick 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 Dick 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 Dick 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. Dick 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." Dick 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 Dick, carelessly. "All right. The Countersign is `The King Rules'." "Thank you," said Dick. "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 shore, near where the prison-ships were anchored. "Now the next thing is to get aboard the hulk," was Dick's thought.