So they set out, and made their way slowly up the steep ascent leading to the top of the mountain. Tom was taken with them, but he did not mind it so much, now, for he did not fear the bullets from the settlers’ rifles as much as he did the rocks. Presently the party of redcoats were almost to the top of the mountain, and suddenly there came the sound of rifle-shots, and then the bullets came whizzing among them. One or two of the redcoats were wounded, but they pressed onward as rapidly as the rough conditions would admit, and soon caught sight of the settlers, who had taken up positions behind the rocks. The British soldiers opened fire, and then advanced, slowly and steadily, and the settlers, knowing that they could not offer successful resistance to such a strong force, turned and retreated hastily. They kept on retiring till they came to where there were a lot of large boulders, and here they stopped to reload their rifles, and waited for the British to come within range again. The lieutenant, observing this action, placed Tom Dare right in front, so that a volley could not be fired without hitting the patriot youth. The settlers must have recognized Tom by this time, for they turned and hastened onward again, having evidently decided not to fire the volley as planned. “That scheme worked all right,” the lieutenant said, with a smile. “We will simply keep you in front, Tom Dare, and will thus be able to walk into the valley in safety. I am glad that we got hold of you.” But Tom wasn’t glad. By permitting himself to fall into the hands of the enemy, he had spoiled the plan to roll rocks down on the redcoats, and had made it impossible for the settlers to fire upon the British without being in danger of killing him. He wished that he could do something to change this state of affairs. But what could he do? He was a prisoner, with redcoats all about him, and he did not see how he was to do anything to help the settlers. He thought of trying the plan of falling down the precipice, as he had done once before, but the precipice in this instance was too steep. He would surely be killed, as it would be a fall of at least one hundred and fifty feet. He decided that there was nothing that he could do, and so he walked onward at the head of the party, though he did not feel very happy. The settlers did not stop again. Evidently they did not wish to take the chances of killing or wounding Tom by firing at the British, and had made up their minds to retreat to their village in the valley. They moved considerably faster than did the redcoats, and Tom, who shrewdly guessed that the settlers would like to have as much time as possible, for the purpose of removing their household goods to a safe place in the mountains, walked slowly pretending lameness, which did not seem unreasonable and thus kept the redcoats from advancing, for a time at least, at a fast pace.