CHAPTER XX
Dick Appears
The morning after the patriot force reached the vicinity of FortNinety-Six and went into camp, who should appear but Dick Dare! He wentat once to the headquarters tent, and was given a cordial greeting byGeneral Greene.
"We were in hopes that you would turn up here," said the general. "Wherehave you been, my boy?"
"Is Ben Foster here?" asked Dick.
"Yes," was the reply.
"Then he told you, doubtless, that we got separated while running fromsome Indians."
"Yes."
"Well, I supposed that he would go on toward Ninety-Six, and so I didthat."
"Ah. And have you learned anything of importance?"
"Nothing regarding the fort, as yet. But I have learned where my brotherTom is."
"That is good. Where is he?"
"A prisoner in the fort."
"Indeed?"
"Yes, sir. He was captured by some British soldiers and brought to thefort, and pretended to join the force. He was sent with a foragingforce, to attack a patriot village up in the mountains, and he managedto get away and reach the settlement ahead of the redcoats and warn thesettlers, and they managed to get to a hiding-place up in the mountains,with their household goods, but the British burned the houses. I wasthere, and saw the settlers, and they told me about the affair. Theysaid that Tom was recaptured, while reconnoitering, and that the Britishtook him to Ninety-Six. When we capture the fort, we can free him."
"I think we shall be able to capture the fort. Ben Foster made areconnoitering trip last night, and learned considerable about thestrength of the walls. I believe we can batter them down with thefield-pieces."
"I hope so. Is there anything you wish me to do?"
"You may reconnoiter and gain all the information possible. There is nohurry, and by taking our time, we may be able to make the capture of thefort more certain."
"I will do my best to secure information that will be of value to you,sir."
Then Dick saluted and withdrew, and was soon with Ben Foster, at thequarters occupied by Captain Morgan's company.
They shook hands, and then Ben asked: "What became of you after we gotseparated, Dick? I hunted around quite a good deal for you, andsignalled, but you did not answer."
"Likely if you were near me when you uttered any of the signals, it waswhile I was insensible, and I did not hear you, of course." Then Dickexplained that he had fallen into a pit that had been dug as a trap tocapture wild animals, and that he had fallen so hard as to knock himsenseless. And then he told of there being a panther in the pit, and Benuttered an exclamation.
"Phew!" he murmured, "that wasn't very pleasant, was it?"
"No, indeed," said Dick. "But I managed to climb up a limb that I foundthere, and make my escape, and then I headed toward Ninety-Six."
Then he told Ben the same story that he had told General Greene, and Benwas glad to know that Tom was alive and probably well, though a prisonerin Fort Ninety-Six. Full particulars he gave too, of the kindly hunterto whom they owed their life and opportunity to escape from the savages.
"We'll have Tom out of there before very long," said Ben, reverting tothe problem at hand.
"General Greene said for me to reconnoiter," said Dick, "and I guessthat I will take a look at the fort to-day, and then visit it to-night."
"There isn't much that you can learn," said Ben. "I found out thestrength of the stockade-walls, and that is about all there is to learn,from the outside. If you could get within the walls, you could securedefinite information regarding its strength, but you can't do that."
"I suppose not," said Dick.
A little while after luncheon, Dick left the encampment and made his wayin the direction of Fort Ninety-Six. He reached the edge of the timber,presently, and stopped and gazed across at the fort. He could notventure out into the open ground without being seen by the sentinels, ofcourse, and so he did not advance farther.
He made his way along the edge of the forest quite a distance, however,and sized up the fort from different directions. Then he turned andwalked slowly along through the woods.
He was heading for the encampment, and when about halfway there, hecrossed a rude wagon-road, which wound this way and that among thetrees, and Dick suddenly caught sight of a man approaching, driving ateam and wagon.
Dick had crossed the road at the edge of the timber, and knew it led tothe fort, and now he stopped and waited till the wagon approached, whenhe stepped out and stopped the man, who looked like a typical settler ofthe vicinity.
"Where are you going?" queried Dick.
"To the fort," was the reply.
"What for?"
"I'm takin' some meat an' vegertables thar to sell to ther sojers," wasthe reply.
"Ah!" exclaimed Dick. He had been struck by an idea. "Say," he remarked,eyeing the man searchingly, "are you a king's man, or are you a patriot?Or are you neutral?"
"Wal," was the reply, "I kain't say thet I'm a king's man, but therredcoats pay me well fur my garden truck. Why d'ye ask?"
"I'll tell you why," said Dick, eagerly. "I wish to enter the fort, andwhy can't I go with you? They'll not be suspicious if I'm with you, andthat will give me a chance to get a look at the inside of the fort."
"Ye're a patriot, then, hey?"
"Yes."
"All right Ye can go inter ther fort with me, an' can help me sell thertruck to ther sojers, an' ye can look aroun' while ye're doin' thet."
"Thank you. That will be very kind of you."
Then Dick climbed up on the seat beside the man, who drove onward andhalf an hour later they were at the entrance to the stockade, the biggate swung open, and the man drove into the enclosure.
Dick, seated on the seat beside the man, looked around him with eagerinterest, but with all evidence of eagerness carefully kept fromshowing. He seemed careless and indifferent.
Then the farmer began selling the meat and vegetables, and Dick helpedhim, and all the time he was sizing up the interior of the fort as besthe could.