sitting on the ground, about halfway between here and the mouth of the gulch, and three of them were struck by logs and knocked senseless, and were drowned.”

“That was good,” said Tom, his eyes shining.

“We were in the flood, too, as we told you before you let us in,” said Dick. “We were chased by Indians, and were trying to escape. We swung down on the end of a tall tree, and dropped into the gulch, then suddenly a torrent came rushing down upon us and bore us a considerable distance before emptying into a river several miles from here. We swam ashore, dried our clothes and then came here.”

“You were fortunate, in that you were not hit by any of the logs,” said Mr. Perkins.

“Yes, so we were,” said Dick. “We grabbed hold of logs, and kept from being swept underneath the water and drowned.”

There was some further talk, and then the youths were given something to eat, after which all settled down to take matters as easy as possible. The settlers rather expected an attack, but were prepared to offer battle, and did not doubt but what they could drive the redskins away, unless they came in much stronger force than when they made the attack in the afternoon.

Dick asked the settlers many questions, and gained a good knowledge of the situation in that part of the country. He learned that Ninety-Six was garrisoned by about five hundred British and Tory soldiers, and that they were inciting the Indians to attack the patriot settlers, and when he had gathered all the information possible, Dick said that he would take his leave about midnight and start northward to carry the report to General Greene.

“Hadn’t you better let me take the news to General Greene, Dick?” said Ben. “You might be able to do good work here, scouting and spying on the Indians, redcoats and Tories.”

“No, I guess I will take the news to the general,” said Dick. “It is going to be exceedingly dangerous getting back through the lines of the Indians, and I have had more experience in woodcraft than you have, and think I can slip through with greater ease and safety than you could.”

“I’ll go, Dick,” said Tom. “I can slip through the Indians’ lines, all right.”

“No, you and Ben stay here,” said Dick. “I’ll take the news to General Greene, and we’ll be back here pretty quick, with the army, and then the redskins, redcoats and Tories will have to look out.”

“Good!” said Mr. Holden. “The quicker the soldiers get here, the better it will be for the patriots in this part of the country.”

Shortly after midnight Dick said good-by to Tom, Ben and the settlers, and passing out of the stockade he stole away in the darkness.

CHAPTER IV

Dick and the Indians

Dick Dare had not gone twenty yards before he became convinced that there were Indians in the vicinity. At once he realized that he would have to be very careful, or he would be unable to get through the lines without being captured. He had been successful, always, in getting through the lines of British sentinels, but these redskins were a different proposition. They were perfectly at home in this region, and, too, they were used to being about at night. They possessed the ability to know what was going on around them, even in the darkness, they seemingly having the catlike faculty of seeing in the dark.

But the knowledge that he was going to have a hard time getting past the Indians only made Dick the more determined to do so. He was eager to prove that he was a good scout and spy, and if he could get through the Indians’ lines without being discovered or captured, then he would have done something to be proud of.

So he settled down and began advancing very slowly and cautiously. He would advance a few feet and then stop and lie flat on the ground, and listen intently. Several times, while lying thus, silent and motionless, he heard sounds in various directions that he knew were not made by wild animals of the forest, but were made by Indians, without doubt.

He heard the calls of night birds, which, so his keen and well trained ear told him, were not made by birds, but were simply good imitations, made by the redskins. Dick could imitate the majority of the birds of the forest, in their calls to one another, himself, and so was able to determine that these calls were not genuine.

And this made him exercise the greatest possible care. He could tell, by the various directions the sounds came from, that the fort was surrounded, and he did not doubt but what an attack was contemplated. He would have gone back into the fort and told them what he had learned, had he deemed it necessary; but he knew that sentinels were posted, and that the redskins could not spring a surprise on the settlers, so he felt that it would do no good to take this trouble. It was more important that he get through the lines and then hasten to reach General Greene with the news that he was needed down in that part of the country.

Presently he discovered, by hearing a call close at hand, that at least one Indian was almost in front of him. He paused and lay silent and motionless for a few moments, and then he began moving around, in a semi-circle.

Cautiously he proceeded, and his every nerve was tense and ready for instant action, in case his presence was discovered and he was attacked. He had gone perhaps twenty yards, and was about opposite the point where he had heard the sound that indicated the presence of the Indian, when he heard a slight rustling, as of a body moving toward him, through the grass. He listened, and became convinced that an Indian was approaching him, and he guessed that the redskin had heard him.

Dick lay still, his mind working swiftly. What should he do? Should he wait and engage the redskin in a combat, or should he leap up and take refuge in flight?

It was a difficult question to answer, and as he was turning the matter over in his mind, he heard the rustling coming closer and closer. He must act quickly, or the Indian would be upon him.

He suddenly decided that the best thing for him to do was to take refuge in flight. True, he realized he might run right into the arms of the Indians, but on the other hand, if he remained where he was, and was attacked by the redskin, the sound of the combat would bring a score of Indians to the spot quickly, and he would be captured.

Having made up his mind, Dick acted. Leaping to his feet, he dashed away at the top of his speed, and instantly he heard the sound of pursuit and knew that the Indian he had heard slipping up on him had given chase.

On the youth ran, and suddenly a peculiar, quavering cry went up from his pursuer’s lips. It was evidently a signal telling his brother braves that a man from the fort was among them, and for them to try to capture him. Realizing this, Dick was on the alert, and expected every moment to feel himself seized by the hands of the redskins.

He had reached the heavy woods, however, before he became aware of the near presence of any redskins, and then he thought he heard several right in front of him.

Whirling, he ran toward the left, at the top of his speed, and then began such a game of hide and seek as Dick had never engaged in before. His quick ears would tell him when there were Indians in front of him, and he would turn in some other direction, with the result that in going a distance of two or three hundred yards, he must have gone at least a mile.

Two or three times he had felt hands clutching him, but he had managed to tear himself loose, and finally he was enabled to continue his flight straight ahead, not hearing any sounds to indicate the presence of redskins in front of him.

Behind him he heard the sounds of pattering feet, however, and the guttural exclamations of the redskins, and knew he was being pursued. He felt that now that he had succeeded in getting through their lines without being captured