"Come to our tent," he said, in a very impressive tone. "I've something great to tell you." CHAPTER XXXII A NOTABLE EXPLOIT "What is it?" inquired Phil quite eagerly, the moment they entered the tent of the Concord Company. "A letter from Silas Berks." "Yes, we know that, but what's it about?" urged Ralph. "Fellows," replied Andy smartly, his face working with a good deal of excitement, "we were talking about being hungry a little while ago. What would you say, if I told you that I think we have a chance to make the biggest kind of a haul of all kinds of food, and lots of it?" "We'd say," cried Ralph enthusiastically, "show us the chance!" "Good! Read that letter, both of you. Then Phil, as you know our commanding general best, if you see anything in the proposition, go to him and arrange for the raid." In turn Phil and Ralph perused the crabbed missive that the old Indian fighter had sent. It was a strange message. Briefly, it informed Andy that the writer knew of the needs of the Continental army. From a friend who had been burned out and robbed by the Tories, Silas had learned that something strange was going on in the neighborhood of Berkston. His friend had told Silas a strange story. The British had raided the territory, burning houses, stealing cattle, and driving the colonists away. Somewhere near Berkston Hills, they had a kind of a rendezvous, Silas said. Here by spells they came frequently to gather up and carry to ships on the coast a vast amount of provisions obtained by bribed agents in the interior districts. Recently the Tories had hired a vagrant band of Indians to scour the country, visiting the settlements, begging, stealing, breaking into stores, houses and barns, and pilfering generally in both a small and a large way. They had carried away the whole contents of farmers' smoke houses, in some instances. At one isolated town the general store was swept clean. Old Silas stated that he was satisfied that these robbers massed all their stealings at one central point, where the Tory agent bought the goods for little or nothing, giving in exchange British gold and "fire water." Their latest headquarters, from what his refugee friend told him, he believed to be in the vicinity of Berkston Hills. Phil and Andy did some thinking, planning and arranging with their commanding officer. That afternoon they started Peleg home, made happy with various trifling gifts, and sending a reply letter to Old Silas, thanking him for his kindly interest in his boy friends and his fidelity to the cause. "Sachem would be the prime fellow to consult about this proposition," remarked Andy, as, accompanied by twenty of their "picked men," the two young volunteer leaders left the camp.