CHAPTER XV
Preparing for Trouble
Tom Dare and the settlers managed to hold their own against theredcoats, and the latter, after two or three attempts at forcing theirway into the houses sheltering the marksmen, retreated about half a mileand evidently held a council, for they gesticulated quite a good deal.Then the settlers saw one of the soldiers take his leave, hastening downthe valley, and Tom Dare exclaimed:
"He's going back to the fort after reinforcements."
"Do you think so?" asked Mr. Hicks, the man who was looked upon as beingthe leader at the settlement.
"Yes, that is what he is going to do. They know that they can't capturethe settlement with their present force, and as we have killed one ortwo of them and wounded several, they are determined to capture thesettlement."
"Well, they will be able to do so, if they have a strong enough force, Iguess."
"Yes. And that fellow will bring enough soldiers so that they will haveno trouble in getting the best of you."
The settlers looked sober and thoughtful. They realized that while theyhad gotten the better of the affair, so far, they would not be able tohold their own against overwhelming odds.
"What shall we do, anyhow?" remarked one of the settlers.
"I'll tell you what," said Tom, who had been doing considerablethinking. "Let's take the offensive, and go out and attack thoseredcoats and drive them out of the valley."
"What good will that do?" asked Mr. Hicks. "That soldier yonder willreturn with a strong force, and then we will have to retreat into themountains."
"No, I think we can arrange a trap for them," said Tom.
"How?" with interest.
"I'll tell you. You know that the path leading into this valley extendsfor several miles along the side of the mountain, with a steep descenton one side, and almost a perpendicular wall at the other."
"Yes, we know that."
"So do I," mused Tom, rubbing some of the sore spots resultant from hisprecipitous departure from his British comrades.
"Tell us your plan, Tom."
"Well, after we have driven these redcoats out of the valley and backalong that path, we will climb up to the top of the precipice-wall, andwill gather a large number of rocks of good size and place them rightalong the edge of the precipice. Then when the redcoats come, we willroll the stones down upon them."
The settlers looked at one another, and it was easy to see that theythought the idea a good one. "That will likely be effective," said Mr.Hicks. "I believe that we can put a stop to the advance of any force, nomatter how strong, in that manner. We can move along the edge of theprecipice, keeping above the redcoats, and keep rolling rocks down onthem, till they are all annihilated or take the back track."
The others said they thought Mr. Hicks was right, and so they beganmaking preparations at once to attack the redcoats. They loaded theirrifles and as many pistols as they could find, and then they withdrewfrom the houses, entered the woods and made their way along till theywere opposite the point where the redcoats were stationed. Then theyslipped to the edge of the covered wood land and suddenly rushed outupon the British soldiers, firing as they went, and yelling at the topof their voices.
The redcoats, taken by surprise, were seized with a feeling of terror,and sprang to their feet and ran toward the end of the valley at the topof their speed, leaving two or three seriously wounded soldiers behindthem, however.
The settlers pursued the fleeing soldiers, and kept after them till theyleft the valley and were making their way along the path on the side ofthe mountain. Then the settlers paused and held a council.
"Now what shall we do next?" asked one of the settlers.
"A few of us will stay here and guard the entrance to the valley,"replied Tom. "And the rest will climb to the top of the precipice andgather stones and place them where they will be handy to roll down onthe heads of the redcoats when they come."
"That is good advice, I think," said Mr. Hicks. "We will do that."
Then he named six of the settlers, and told them to remain on guard atthe entrance to the valley, after which the rest of the party climbed tothe top of the precipice and began collecting rocks and placing themalong the edge of the precipice.
"Those rocks will beat firearms as destructive weapons," said Mr. Hicks.
"Yes, I think so," replied Tom.
The soldiers who had been driven from the valley kept onward along thepath till they reached the fairly level country at the end, a distanceof about three miles, and then they stopped and went into camp, as thereinforcements from the fort would not reach there till about noon ofthe next day.
The settlers worked hard the rest of the afternoon, and when eveningcame they had a string of rocks piled along the edge of the precipicefor a distance of a couple of miles, and they felt that they were now ina position to make it exceedingly hot for the British soldiers when theyput in their expected appearance the following day.
The settlers now made their way back again and rejoined the six men onguard at the entrance to the valley, and after informing them that theywould send six men to relieve them, so that they could come to thesettlement and get supper, the main party made its way to thesettlement. The women had supper ready, and the settlers ate, afterwhich six of their number went and relieved the six at the entrance ofthe valley, and the three wounded redcoats were brought and placed inone of the houses. Their wounds had already been dressed by one of thesettlers, an old man and a sort of doctor, who had not accompanied theparty in its attack on the British, so the wounded men had been takencare of.
The settlers felt very well satisfied with the situation. Two or threehad been wounded, but not seriously, and they felt that they had so farhad much the better of the fight.
They got a good night's sleep, and were up bright and early, atebreakfast, and then got ready for the work that was to be performed thatday. Leaving the settlement, they made their way to the entrance of thevalley, climbed to the top of the precipice, and then proceeded to thefarther end of the string of stones, where they paused and settled downto await the coming of the British.
Tom Dare, however, who was never satisfied to remain quiet, said that hewould go and reconnoiter and see if he could locate the party ofredcoats that had been driven out of the valley.
"Very well," said Mr. Hicks, "but be careful, my boy. Don't let themcapture you."
"I won't, sir. I will keep my eyes open."
Then Tom made his way down the steep slope of the mountain, and into theheavy timber, and he made his way along, slowly and cautiously, for hebelieved that the party of redcoats was somewhere in the vicinity.
Tom advanced a few yards at a time, pausing then to look all around him,and when he had gone about half a mile he caught sight of theencampment.
"I thought I would find them somewhere around here," thought Tom, "Well,now by keeping watch on this party of redcoats, I will know when theothers join them, and when they start toward the valley, and can hastenand warn the settlers and they can be ready to begin the bombardmentwith the stones."
Tom selected a good place from which to keep his eyes on the redcoats,and then settled down to take it easy. It was a warm morning, and Tompresently became somewhat drowsy. He would watch the encampment a littlewhile, then he would nod slightly, but would presently rouse up again.It was during one of his nodding periods that Tom suddenly felt stronghands seize hold of him. Startled, he made an attempt to get free fromthe grasp, but could not do so, there being two of his assailants, andto Tom's surprise they were Indians.
"That accounts for their being able to slip up on me without my hearingthem," thought Tom, with some bitterness.
His hands were quickly bound together behind his back with a thong, andthen the Indians dragged Tom down to the British encampment, where hewas given a rather grim reception.
"So, here you are again, eh, Tom Dare!" exclaimed Lieutenant Wicks."Good. I am glad to see you. You pla
yed us a nice trick when youpretended to fall, rolled down the slope and then hastened on ahead andgave the settlers warning, didn't you. Very good, I will settle with youfor that, now that we have got you in our hands!" And he glared at theyouth in a manner that showed he was very much wrought up, as indeed hehad cause to be.
The truth was, that he was one of those who had been wounded by thebullets from the weapons of the settlers. His wound was not serious, butit was painful, and did not have a good effect on his temper.
"What are you going to do with me?" asked Tom, somewhat defiantly.
"I'll show you at the proper time," was the reply. "You will be verysorry that you acted as you did."
"Perhaps so, perhaps not," replied the patriot youth.
"You will find that it does not pay to try tricks on soldiers of theking," said the lieutenant, sternly. "You will wish that you hadremained a member of the British army."
"No, I won't," said Tom. "I am a patriot, and I wouldn't fight for theking."
"You will be glad to fight for the king, before I get through with you,you blasted rebel!" cried the lieutenant, fiercely. Then he went on:"Just wait till the reinforcements get here. We will return to thevalley and thrash the settlers and plunder their houses, and you aregoing to go along and help. Do you hear?"
"Yes, I hear," replied Tom, "but I won't do much helping, I can tell youthat."
He thought of the rocks that were to be rolled down on the redcoats, anddid not like the prospect of being taken along with the force when itmade its way along the path, in going to the valley.
Would the settlers roll the stones down, he wondered? They would, unlessthey knew that he was among the party. But would they discover thisfact? If they did not, Tom would likely be killed by a rock, the same asif he were a redcoat.