The Liberty Boys Running the Blockade | Page 5

lived in Westchester county and had come to visit friends in New York, stopping on the way to see the boys.
"Well, Alice," said Dick to his sweetheart, "so you have come to the city, have you? Things are in a rather turbulent state, but I fancy we can get you out of it in case there is any immediate trouble. You will stay to supper, of course. Patsy has just announced that it is ready, so we will lose no time in sitting down."
The girls were well known to all the Liberty Boys and when they sat down they received a general salute, every boy there being glad to see them. After supper the boys who had brought in the spy took him to the general's quarters, and shortly after this Dick and Bob set out with the girls to see them to the house of their friends in the city. Dick and Bob took their horses, the captain riding a magnificent black Arabian and Bob a fine bay, and all set out together, laughing and talking in lively fashion. They struck across the Common to the road running to the west of it, and would then make their way into the city past the new church and Broadway to Maiden Lane.
As they were going on at an easy jog, expecting to leave the Common, four or five dark forms suddenly sprang up in front of them and seize their bridles, while as many ran up behind and prevented their wheeling. Then some one flashed the light of a lantern in their faces, and a voice was heard saying:
"H'm! women! We don't want them. All want is the rebels!"
The girls' horses were at once set free, and the girls themselves lost no time in wheeling and dashing back toward the camp, Alice taking the lead.
"Hi! what are you doing?" growled one of men, who were all evil-looking fellows, as Dick could see. "The gals will bring the rest of the rebels."
Dick was dragged from the back of Major, his black Arabian, and one of the men attempted to mount the animal to go in chase of the two girls but was immediately thrown.
"Back to camp, Major!" said Dick.
In an instant the intelligent animal was flying after the girls, who quickly recognized his hoof-beats. Meanwhile the men who had captured Dick and Bob knew the danger they would run remaining on the ground, and they hurried away with the two boys, letting Bob's bay go free. They went on so rapidly that Dick was unable to see much of the way, but he knew the direction they took almost by instinct, and could have returned without trouble if he had been liberated. The men kept the two boys in the middle of the party and held on to them tightly.
"We got the rebels an' we'll get the reward," said one.
"Yes, the gals an' the other rebels won't be able to find the house, and they can hunt all they like."
It was a sharp decline to the river, down the lane, and one of the men stumbled and rolled several yards, picking himself up with a grunt and a groan and a lot of bad language, and then hurrying after the rest. Dick heard the swash of the water on the gravel bank, and then saw the river itself dimly, but in another moment some dark object loomed up before him, and then he and Bob were taken into a house, the front of which was much lower than the back on account of the steepness of the hank. The boys were taken to the front and then down a flight of steps to a room in the rear, where they were left in the dark, the door being locked and barred on the outside.
"Who are these fellows, do you suppose, Dick?" asked Bob, when they were left alone.
"I don't know. Tories, no doubt, or just men who want the reward offered for my capture."
"But there is none offered for me," with a laugh. "Why should they take me with them?"
"To keep you from giving the alarm. They would have taken the girls if they had thought twice."
"But will the girls be able to show them the way?"
"They can take them to where we were attacked, and after that the boys will follow the trail. Mark is a good hand at that sort of thing, and he will have good boys to help him."
"Yes, they would all turn out and join in the hunt if he asked them," declared Bob.
"But there is no use in our staying in the dark, Bob," said Dick. "You have matches with you?"
"Yes. They did not search us and I have matches, and my pistols and everything."
Bob then lighted a sulphur match, the only kind in use