CHAPTER XXII--The Battle
It was a lively battle, indeed, for the British, being considerablystronger than the patriots, evidently thought they could defeat them,but the defenders were in a strategically good position. They sent backvolley for volley, and had the advantage of the field-pieces, and soafter a battle of about an hour and a half the redcoats retreated,carrying their dead and wounded with them.
The patriot loss was twelve killed and sixteen wounded, and they werepretty sure that the British had suffered a greater loss than this.
When the battle was over, it was found by the soldiers in CaptainMorgan's company that Tom Dare was missing. At first it was feared thathe had been killed, but his body was not found, and when the captainmade inquiries of the youth's comrades, they said that they did notremember having seen him during the battle.
Ben Foster had not thought anything about this at the time, but now heremembered that Tom had not been by his side, and he could not thinkwhat had become of him.
Nor had Tim Murphy or Fritz Schmockenburg seen Tom, and they, like Ben,were uneasy regarding him.
There was only one possible solution, that Ben could think of, and thatwas, that Tom had slipped away and gone to the British encampment, inthe hope that he might be able to rescue Dick, while the British wereaway.
The more Ben thought of this, the more certain he became that this waswhere Tom had gone, and he asked Captain Morgan to permit him to go tothe British encampment and reconnoiter. He thought that if Tom had gonethere, he might need assistance.
The captain consented that Ben should go, but urged due caution.
"I will exercise care, sir," was the reply.
Then Ben took his departure, and made his way in the direction of theenemy's camp. When he reached the vicinity of the old schoolhouse, whereHerbert Miller had taught, he was surprised and attacked suddenly byabout a dozen redcoats, who rushed out of the schoolhouse, and was madea prisoner.
He was ordered to enter the schoolhouse, where he found a number ofBritish soldiers lying on blankets, many so severely wounded that it hadbeen thought best to leave them there, fearing they could not be safelytaken a further distance. The other soldiers, who had seized Ben, hadbeen left there to take care of the wounded.
Ben was placed on a bench, his hands tied together behind his back, andone of the redcoats asked him who he was and where he was going.
"I live in this vicinity," said Ben. "I was on my way to thesettlement."
The redcoat laughed sneeringly. "That will do to tell," he said. "But Idon't believe you. You are a rebel and were on your way to spy on theBritish army."
"You are wrong," said Ben.
"I don't think so. I guess I shall have to take you to General Arnold."
Ben made no reply, and the redcoat, who wore a lieutenant's uniform,summoned a couple of soldiers, ordering them to take the prisoner to theBritish encampment, and to General Arnold.
"And don't let him escape on the way there," was the caution. "I aminclined to think he is a rebel spy."
"He won't get away," was the reply, and the two redcoats set out, withBen walking between them.
At first they held to his arms, but when they had gone a littledistance, they changed their positions, one walking in front and onebehind Ben, and without holding to him.
Doubtless they thought that the prisoner would not think of trying toescape, with his hands bound. But Ben at once made up his mind to try toget away. He was an exceedingly swift runner, and he believed that evenwith his hands bound, he could outrun any redcoat, the majority of whom,in the lower ranks, were clumsy fellows. So watching till they came to apoint where the ground sloped away, making it easy for speeding, Bensuddenly leaped backward against the soldier behind him, upsetting thefellow, who had not been expecting anything of this kind. Then Bendashed away, down the slope at the top of his speed.
"After him!" yelled the redcoat who had been upset, as he scrambledhastily to his feet and drew a pistol. "Don't let him escape."
The other had heard his comrade give utterance to an exclamation as hewent down, and had whirled just after Ben dashed away. Now he set out inpursuit, with the other redcoat eight or ten yards behind.
Down the slope Ben ran with great swiftness, when the fact is taken intoconsideration that his wrists were tied together behind his back, and heheld his own against his pursuers. They were not able to gain on him.
On he ran, and when he had gone perhaps half a mile, he suddenly came tothe edge of the high bank of a creek that probably emptied into theJames River. It was at least thirty feet down to the water, and beingunable to stop, Ben went over the edge of the bank. Down he shot, adistance of perhaps ten or twelve feet, where he struck on an outjuttingledge about four feet wide, and fell. Fortunately he rolled toward theface of the creek-bank, the ledge sloping downward, and kept on rollingtill he was several feet inside a cave. And just then down came a greatmass of earth and bushes, covering the ledge and choking up the entranceto the cave, shutting out the light and making it almost as dark asnight within. Some heavy stones, with a great splash, fell into thewater of the creek.
The redcoats had stopped before reaching the edge of the bank, andapproaching cautiously to the point where the bank had caved off, lookeddown. They saw the great mass of earth extending from the ledge on downto the creek, and seeing nothing of Ben, one suggested that he had beenburied under the miniature landslide, and was now smothered to death.But this idea was scouted as unlikely, rather it was thought that therunaway had fallen into the water and was drowned. They discussed thematter a few moments, the sound of their voices coming to Ben's hearingin faint murmurs, and then they turned and made their way back towardthe schoolhouse, with the intention, doubtless, of reporting to thelieutenant.
Ben had kept quiet while the redcoats were talking about the affair, histhought being that he did not want to be recaptured, but when they hadgone, he realized that he was imprisoned in a cave, with his handsbound, was practically helpless, and would likely have to remain there aprisoner and die of starvation and thirst. He shuddered, and a coldperspiration broke out over his body.
He wished, now, that he had called out to the redcoats. He would havebeen again made a prisoner, true, but he would have had the hope ofgetting away later on, while as the matter stood now, he did not seethat he had any chance whatever to escape with his life.
Imprisoned in a cave, the entrance to which was covered several inchesthick with earth, and with his arms bound, how could he hope to make hisescape? A feeling of despair took hold of him.