At the point where they were when the lieutenant made this statement, they were making their way along a path that wound around the side of a mountain, and at one side the mountain stretched up hundreds of feet in the air, while to the other side there was almost a precipice. The descent for a hundred feet was quite steep, but not so steep but what a man might descend it, by using care. Tom Dare, who had been trying to think of some manner of giving the party the slip and getting to the settlement ahead of the redcoats, decided on a plan. It was dangerous, but he would try it anyhow, and his plan was to pretend to stumble and then fall and go sliding down the declivity. He would then get to his feet, make his way to the settlement and warn the settlers. He managed to work his way over till he was close to the edge of the descent, and then suddenly he stumbled, gave a cry of seeming alarm, fell and went rolling over and over down the steep mountain-side. The soldiers were greatly excited and yelled advice and encouragement to the youth, but he was rolling so rapidly that their voices came to him only in an inarticulate murmur. He did not understand their words, and could not have acted on any of the suggestions had he done so. “Stop,” yelled one soldier. “Grab hold of something,” cried another. “Whirl your body around and stick your heels in the earth,” was the suggestion from another. On rolled Tom, and although he did his best to lessen his speed, he could do little, and he went down the side of the mountain with terrible speed. Fortunately, however, he was able to grasp a long trailing vine and this enabled him to twist himself into a more perpendicular position. Presently, when about one hundred feet down, he shot over a little precipice and went fifteen or twenty feet downward, directly into the top of a stunted fir tree. On through the branches he went, being buffeted first one way and then the other, and finally fell to the ground alighting upon the mossy bank of a little rivulet. Had he had in advance the slightest conception of the danger of his undertaking, he certainly would not have made the venture. Luckily the branches of the tree had broken his fall considerably, and although he was somewhat stunned by the fall, and dazed by the swift whirling, he was not seriously injured, and in a few moments he was enabled to sit up, and a little later he rose to his feet, shook himself, and began figuring on getting to the settlement ahead of the redcoats. Then to his hearing came the words, from the lieutenant: “Tom Dare! Are you alive? Where are you?” “They’ll be looking for me in a few moments,” thought Tom. “I must hurry away from here.” He set out in the direction of the settlement, picking his way along carefully, and gradually he worked his way upward, and when he had gone about a mile, he reached the path the soldiers had been following when he rolled down the mountain-side.