CHAPTER VIII--Tim And Fritz At Work
Soon after Dick, Tom and Ben left the patriot encampment, to go insearch of the British army under General Arnold, Tim and Fritz got todiscussing the matter, and they decided that they could do some goodwork in that line also.
"Vy can't ve go und make un efford to find der retgoads, Tim?" wasFritz's query.
"Sure an' there's no reason why we can't, Dootchy," said Tim. "An' it'smesilf has a good moind to go an' ask the captain to let us go an' lookfur the ridcoats."
"Yah, go und ask him, Tim," urged Fritz, eagerly. "I vould lige to go onsuch a trip as dot, und verily dot is so."
So Tim, thus backed up, asked Captain Morgan to let him and Fritz go insearch of the encampment of the redcoats.
"Why, the Dare boys and Ben Foster have just gone to do that," said thecaptain.
"Yis, but there is no tellin' what direction to go to foind theridcoats, captain," said Tim, "an' we can go a different directions an'mebby will foind the encampment av the inimy before the other byes do."
"Oh, well, you may go, then," laughed the captain, "but be careful, anddon't get captured yourself."
"We'll be careful, captain, sure an' we will."
"Very well."
Tim thanked the captain, hastened back and reported his success toFritz, who was delighted. They made prompt preparations, and a fewminutes later they set out.
They started in a different direction from that taken by the boys, butTim and Fritz were not very good at woodcraft, and gradually theircourse was changed, till finally unwittingly they were following almostin the steps of the three youths. They supposed, agreeable to theirproposal, that they were going in an entirely different direction.
Thus it happened that Tim and Fritz came to the top of the ridge, fromwhich the three youths had seen the camp of the party of redcoats, andreaching there about an hour after the youths had left. They stopped torest, and soon caught sight of the redcoats, in the same manner as theyouths had done.
They were greatly excited at once. "Sure an' we've found thim alriddy!"exclaimed Tim.
"Yah, dot is so," agreed Fritz. "But dere are not many dere, Tim. Dis isnot der big encampment."
"Ye are roight, Fritz. This is a small party thot is out on a foragingexpedition, loikely."
"Ve must sby on dem, Tim, und find ouid vot dey are doin' here," saidFritz.
"Roight ye are, me bye. An' it's Tim Murphy can do thot worruk, sure an'it is."
"Ah righd. You go und do dot vork, Tim. I vill sday here und be ready togome to your assistance if you ged into drubble, already."
"Thot's all roight. Here Oi go, Fritz."
Then Tim moved slowly and cautiously forward, heading for the encampmentof the redcoats.
He was not so skillful at this kind of work as was Dick Dare, but he didpretty well in this instance, and by going very slowly, he managed toget over the ground without making much noise.
Closer and closer crept Tim, and finally he came to a stop behind a treeabout fifty yards from the encampment. He could hear what the redcoatssaid, but they were talking about matters of no particular interest, andTim did not learn of their intention of plundering and burning thepatriot settlement.
Tim saw that there was only a small party of the redcoats, and realizingthat this was only a detachment from Arnold's army, he decided to returnto where he had left Fritz, and they would go on their way and try tofind the main encampment.
So he turned and slipped back in the direction from which he had come,and when he neared the top of the ridge and looked for his comrade, hegreatly to his surprise did not see him. Tim supposed Fritz was seatedbehind a tree, however, and thought nothing of it, but when he reachedthe point where he had left the Dutch youth, sure as fate Fritz was notthere.
Tim looked all around, in surprise. Nowhere could he see Fritz. Glancingtoward the redcoat camp, and deciding that they would not hear him, hesounded a signal that they often used to notify one of the other'swhereabouts.
Then he listened, but did not hear any reply. Again he gave the signal,with the same result.
"Where has Dootchy gone, Oi wondther," muttered Tim, scratching hishead. "Sure, an' he's so big thot av he was innywheres aroun' here Oiought to be able to see him."
He looked in all directions, carefully, searchingly, but Fritz was notto be seen, which was very puzzling, and Tim did not understand it atall.
"Thot does bate all," murmured Tim. "What shall Oi do? Shall Oi stayhere, or go in search av him?"
This was a problem, and Tim sat down, the better to figure it out.
He was sitting there, his back against a tree, trying to determine whereFritz could be, when suddenly there was a rustling and scratching soundabove him, and then something hit him on the head and shoulders,knocking him to the ground and almost stunning him.
Nevertheless Tim scrambled up hastily, and was greatly amazed to see hiscomrade, Fritz, lying on his back on the ground a few yards distant,blinking up at the sky as if dazed. An exclamation of anger andamazement escaped the Irish soldier's lips.
"Fritz, ye Dutch rascal, ye, where did ye drop from, innyhow?" he cried.
Fritz blinked a few more times, and then slowly rose to a sittingposture, looked at Tim, grinned somewhat sheepishly, and then said:"From der dreetop, Tim."
"Oh, ye fell out av the tree, did ye?" the Irish soldier remarked.
"Yah," nodded the Dutchman. "I vos glimbin' down, alretty, an' my holdslipped und down I fell kerthump."
"I should say ye did. Ye fell kerthump on top av me head, sure an' yedid. Why didn't ye tell me ye was comin'?"
"I didn't think uf dot, Tim," was the reply. "Und I'm sorriness dot Ibumped you."
"What was ye doin' up in the tree?"
"I vos loogin' around. I thought dot I mighd see der big camp uf derretgoads."
"Well, did ye?"
Fritz shook his head. "No, I saw only der trees und timber," he said.
"Well, what shall we do now? Go an' look for the big camp of theridcoats?"
"Vot do you say to stayin' und keepin' watch on dese retgoads till afterdark, Tim?" said Fritz. "Maybe dey vill go to der big engampment, undden ve gan follow dem."
"Sure an' thot's a good oidea, Fritz. We'll do thot."