CHAPTER XIII--In the Swamp
Miller managed to spring across a boggy place to a tree a few feetdistant, and then he climbed up into it. He worked his way out on alimb, and got from that tree to the next one, then on into the nexttree, and kept this up till he was in the tree nearest to Dick.
Then he took his knife from his pocket and with great rapidity cut off alimb about the size of his wrist and reached the end down to Dick. Hegrasped it eagerly and held on tightly, while Miller pulled steadily andstrongly.
It was quite a while before the pulling had any perceptible effect andthen it was seen that Dick was slowly but surely rising out of the bog.
"I guess you are going to get out, all right, Mr. Dare," said Miller."There is lots of suction to that bog, though."
"Yes. You are gradually pulling me up, and if I can get to that tree,I'll be all right."
"I'll get you there in a few minutes, Mr. Dare."
Miller kept on pulling till he got Dick out of the bog, and then heworked his way back to the main body of the tree, while Dick worked hisway along on the top of the bog, and presently reached the tree. Here hestood, holding to the tree, while he rested for a few minutes, and thenhe climbed up among the branches, and was soon beside Miller.
"Thank you, very much, stranger," Dick said. "You have saved my life."
"I guess that's so," was the reply. "But you are welcome, and I am gladto have been able to render you assistance. All the more because you area friend of Fritz, yonder, so he has told me, and he and his comrade,Tim Murphy, rescued me from a situation almost as unpleasant as the oneI have rescued you from."
"Indeed? I am surprised to see Fritz. I left him at the patriotencampment twenty miles from here, yesterday."
"Yes. Well, he and his comrade, Tim Murphy, came to this regionyesterday and they rescued me from the hands of a party of Tories thatwere going to give me a whipping with switches. They had already givenme a coat of tar and feathers the same afternoon a few hours before."
"Then of course you are a patriot."
"Yes. I am the school-teacher at the school about a mile from the Torysettlement, and about two miles from the patriot settlement. But theTories don't like me, because I took the part of the patriot children atthe school, when the Tory children were running over them, and so theydid as I have told you."
"I suppose you won't teach school there any more, then?" enquired Dick.
"No. I hardly know what I shall do."
"Better join the patriot army," urged Dick.
"I might do that. I'll think about it anyway."
Then, Dick having rested sufficiently, in the meantime having gotten hisclothing into more presentable and comfortable shape, they beganclimbing from tree to tree, and presently joined Fritz on the end of thepathway.
"I'm glad to see you safe ouid uf der bog, Dick," said Fritz, seizingthe youth's hand and shaking it vigorously. "I was afraid dot ve gouldnot ged you ouid."
"I'm mighty glad you two happened around just when you did," said Dick."But where is Tim?"
"He vent back to der engampment last nighd," was the reply. "He is goingto bring some uf der solchers here to drive der retcoats avay und letder patriot settlers come back out uf der swamp."
"Hurrah! That is good. The soldiers ought to get here pretty soon, then,if he went last night."
"Yah, dey vill get here pretty soonness, Dick."
"Good. Then we will go back to the mainland, and meet them."
So the three set out, following the path to the shore, and then theymade their way in a direction that would lead them around to a pointhalf a mile from the encampment of the redcoats. Here they stopped, andDick went down to a little stream that flowed through the woods, andwashed the remainder of the mud from off his clothes.
Then he took up his position in a sunny spot near his comrades, wherehis garments would dry off quickly.
They had been there perhaps an hour and a half when they saw the patriotsoldiers coming. There were about a company of the soldiers, and attheir head with great importance stamped on every line of his freckledIrish face, strode Tim Murphy. As they drew nearer, Dick recognizedCaptain Morgan and some of the soldiers, and knew that it was his owncompany that was advancing.
A few minutes later the soldiers reached the spot where Dick, Fritz andMr. Miller were, and halted. After greetings had been exchanged, thesituation of affairs was explained to Captain Morgan, who listenedattentively, and said that they would advance cautiously and try to takethe redcoats by surprise.
"That will be the best plan, Captain Morgan," agreed Dick.
Then the party started forward, Dick, Fritz, Tim, Mr. Miller and CaptainMorgan scouting in the lead, the soldiers following closely.
Forward they went, slowly, for they were eager to take the redcoats bysurprise, and presently they caught sight of the temporary encampment.The British soldiers were sitting about in groups, talking and laughing,and evidently they did not in the least suspect that they were indanger.
But suddenly, as the patriots were looking, a man had seemed to rushinto the encampment and say something in an excited manner, and make agesture toward where the patriot soldiers were. Then the redcoats leapedto their feet and seized their muskets.
"That fellow has warned them!" cried Captain Morgan. "Forward, men.Charge the redcoats!"