The Dare Boys of 1776 | Page 5

have scoffed at the idea of their trying to do him
injury.
Dick and Tom were washing their faces and hands and combing their
hair, and did not know anything about the coming of the Tories until
they entered the room where their mother was, and then Mr. Dare had
been out in the yard perhaps five minutes. During this time Mrs. Dare
had been on the anxious seat, so to speak. She had been listening
eagerly and anxiously, fearing she might hear rifle-shots, or the sound
of a struggle, but no such sounds had come to her hearing. Still, she
was not feeling very much reassured when the boys entered the room,
and she told them about the coming of Abe Boggs and some more of
the neighbors, and how they had called Mr. Dare out, on the plea of
wishing to speak to him.
"He's been out there quite a while," Mrs. Dare finished; "and I'm
beginning to feel uneasy. I wish you would go out and tell father to
come in, that supper is getting cold, Dick."
"Certainly, mother," said Dick, and he hastened to the door. The truth
was, that a feeling of uneasiness had taken hold upon him when he
heard what his mother had to say about the Tories, and, remembering
the trouble he and Tom had had with Zeke Boggs and his cronies that

afternoon in Philadelphia and on the road home, Dick was led to fear
that the Tories had called his father out of doors with evil intent.
He opened the door and stepped quickly out, and Tom, who had also
been assailed with fears for his father's safety, was close at his heels.
They looked all around, but to their surprise, and to their alarm as well,
there was no one in sight. Neither their father nor the Tories could be
seen anywhere. It was so dark that the youths could not see any very
great distance with distinctness, but they were confident that there was
nobody in the back yard.
"They're around in the front yard, likely, Dick," said Tom, but his tone
lacked positiveness. It was evident that he had fears that such was not
really the case.
The two hastened around the house, accompanied by their mother, who
had followed them to the door and had, like her sons, noted that there
was nobody to be seen. And when they reached the front yard, they saw
it was the same there: Not a soul was in the front yard. The Tories, and
Mr. Dare as well, had disappeared.
"Oh, where can they be?" cried Mrs. Dare, almost at the weeping point.
"What have they done with your father? Oh, I am afraid they have
wrought him injury of some kind, sons!"
The youths were alarmed, but they pretended that such was not the case,
in order to reassure their mother. They said that their father was all
right.
"He has gone with them, to see about something," said Dick. "You go
back in the house, mother, and Tom and I will go over to Mr. Boggs
and see what has become of father. Likely he is there. You go in and
stay with Mary. We won't be gone long."
"Very well, Dick," said Mrs. Dare; "but hurry, for I shall be anxious till
you get back with your father."
She entered the house, and Dick and Tom hastened over to the Boggs

home, which was less than a quarter mile distant. Mr. Dare was not
there, and Mrs. Boggs said she did not know where her husband was,
that he had left the house an hour or more before, saying he did not
know when he would be back. Thanking her for the information, Dick
and Tom hastened to the homes of several of the neighboring Tories in
succession, and made inquiries regarding Mr. Dare, but with the same
result as at the Boggs home. In none of the homes visited were any of
the men of the house, and the women did not know where the men
were.
Greatly worried now, but hoping they would find their father at home
when they got there, Dick and Tom hastened back, and as they
approached the house, they caught sight of something white on the door.
When they reached the door, they found it was a piece of paper, and on
taking this into the house discovered it was a rudely scrawled note,
signed by Abe Boggs and six of his Tory neighbors. The note read as
follows:
"To Mrs. Dare and rebel sons, Dick and Tom:
"We hev took Henry Dare prisner. He is a rebel, an we are goin ter turn
him over to Captain Wilson an his compny uv British sojers, who hev
ben heer fur a