Spy stories; Teenage boys -- Juvenile fiction; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Juvenile fiction
"So would I. Well, I think it likely that we will have fighting to do
in a few days, if the colonel knew what he was talking about, and I
suppose he did."
"He had the news from General Percy?"
"I suppose so. The general was over to the main encampment yesterday,
you know, and likely they held a council of war and decided to make an
attack."
Dick was straining every nerve to hear distinctly.
Just then a groan sounded, from amid the clump of bushes in which Dick
had placed the soldier he had overpowered. The soldiers heard it, and
looked at each other wonderingly and inquiringly and then gazed keenly
toward the clump of bushes. Dick had heard the groan also, and his
heart sank, for he thought that if the soldiers found and released the
other redcoat, a search might be instituted for him, and result in his
discovery and capture.
"What does that mean, comrade?" remarked one of the soldiers.
"Somebody groaned," was the reply. "Let's take a look in that clump of
bushes and see who is there, and what ails him."
They leaped to their feet, and drawing pistols, strode to the edge of
the clump of bushes, and stooping, pushed their way through between
the bushes. A few moments later Dick heard an exclamation from the
lips of one of the soldiers, and knew they had discovered the bound
redcoat. The youth had thought of slipping down out of the tree and
trying to make his escape, but did not do so, for he realized that the
chances were that he would be seen and either shot or captured. So he
decided to remain where he was, and risk being discovered.
A few minutes later the three redcoats emerged from amid the bushes,
the two having freed the redcoat from his bonds. They paused
underneath the tree Dick was in, and the redcoat explained about his
encounter with and capture by the person he had suspected of being a
spy and had intended to march into the camp, a prisoner. To Dick's
amusement, the redcoat described him as being a big, ferocious-looking
fellow, a six-footer, and very strong. Evidently the soldier did not
want his comrades to know that he had been overpowered and mad a
prisoner by a youth of eighteen years, and smaller than himself.
"I suppose the rascally spy isn't still in this clump of timer, eh?"
remarked one of the soldiers, with a glance around.
"No, not likely," was the reply of the one who had been made a
prisoner. "Probably he got away from here as quickly as possible,
after making a prisoner of me."
"Luckily he was not here to listen to what we were saying," remarked
one, and he looked significantly at the other who agreed.
Then one suggested that they go into the encampment and make a report
of the affair to the general. The other two assented to this
proposition, and they at once left the clump of trees and made their
way to the encampment.
Dick was eager, now, to get away from there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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