CHAPTER XXV--Beating Arnold
"I wonder how the battle went?" said Dick, as they walked onward at aswift pace.
"We drove them away," said Ben. "I was there till the battle was over,and then, missing Tom, set out to find him."
"Oh, you didn't leave the encampment till after the battle, then."
"No. We got rather the better of the redcoats, I am certain. They lost agreater number killed, and a larger number were wounded, than of ourmen. And we forced them to retreat."
"That is good," said Dick.
"I wish I had been there to help fight the redcoats," said Tom.
"So do I," said Dick. And as the readers of the Dare Boys books willreadily believe, this was true. But that they were to take part in manyexciting battles before the end of the war will be seen, as the readermay if he wishes discover in the next volume of the series, which willbe entitled, "The Dare Boys With General Greene."
"Was Tim or Fritz wounded?" asked Tom, anxiously.
"No," replied Ben. "They were not hurt."
Presently they reached the encampment, and were given a cordial welcomeby their comrades, Tim, Fritz and Herbert Miller being delighted.
Dick went to the house occupied by Colonel Morris and the other officersand made a report, telling what he knew of the strength of the Britishforce, and then went back and rejoined his comrades, and they sat aroundand talked of the battle for a while, after which they lay down and weresoon asleep.
This first battle was the beginning of an exciting and vigorous campaignbetween Arnold's force of redcoats and Tories, and the patriot forceunder Colonel Morris.
Each force kept close watch on the other, and attempts were made tosurprise each other and thus gain a victory, but in the three or fourengagements that took place within the next few days neither side scoreda victory, and the losses of men, killed and wounded, was about thesame.
"We will get the better of Arnold yet, however," said Colonel Morris,determinedly, in council with his officers. "We will keep close watch onthem, and presently we will get a chance to strike them a blow."
He kept Dick Dare pretty busy reconnoitering and spying on the British,and Tom and Ben assisted Dick quite a good deal in this work. HerbertMiller, too, was of considerable use, the four doing a lot of good workin the spying and reconnoitering line.
One evening, when Dick and Tom were watching the British encampment,they saw that the redcoats were breaking camp. They supposed that theBritish were going to advance against the patriot force again and makeanother attack, but waited to make sure of this, before carrying thenews to Colonel Morris; but when the British were ready to march, theyset out toward the east, instead of toward the patriot encampment, whichlay to the northward.
"They are leaving this part of the country!" exclaimed Tom, excitedly."They have gotten enough of fighting our force, and are marching away."
"I guess you are right, Tom," said Dick. "Well, you hasten to ColonelMorris with the information. I will follow the British and keep themunder observation."
"All right, Dick." Then Tom hastened away, and Dick set out on the trailof the British. The redcoats marched perhaps ten or twelve miles, andthen went into camp, and Dick, feeling sure that they would remain theretill morning, made his way back till he met the patriot force advancing.
Colonel Morris was delighted when he learned that the British hadstopped and gone into camp, and he decided to go forward and make anattack, taking the British by surprise, if possible.
Dick guided the patriot force, and a couple of hours later they wereclose to the encampment.
The patriots advanced slowly and cautiously, now, and succeeded ingetting almost up to the sentinel line before they were discovered. Thenat a command from Colonel Morris, they charged upon the British forces.As they did so, they opened fire from their muskets, and then were atclose enough quarters to use their bayonets. There was a hot fight for alittle while, and then the redcoats broke and fled in confusion, as thepatriots fired a couple of pistol-volleys after the fleeing enemy.
This was a decided victory for the patriots, for they had killed a scoreat least of the British, had wounded thirty or forty, and had lost onlysix, killed, and had ten wounded.
This battle was effective in placing a check on the operations of Arnoldin that part of Virginia. Colonel Morris kept after him, and in severalengagements got the better of him, and Arnold's force was not able to domuch damage, which was very satisfactory to the patriot settlers, whoprior to the coming of the patriot force had been terrorized by Arnold'sarmy. The plundering and burning of houses was stopped, and the patriotpeople rested in comparative peace.
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