The Liberty Boys Running the Blockade Part 11

"No, perhaps not."

d.i.c.k shortly crept out cautiously by the lower door, having a long coat over his uniform, and made his way toward the farther end of the wharf.

The boys were to act as soon as they heard any unusual noise from his direction, Bob taking the lead. Making his way along the wharf, d.i.c.k presently saw a night.w.a.tch with a lantern at the end of a long pole coming toward them.

"Here is the watch," said one, "come to send us to bed."

"Let us put out his lantern and souse him in the river," said d.i.c.k, with a laugh.

"That's so, that will be great fun."

A man with a lantern came up at this moment and the light fell upon d.i.c.k.

"Hallo! if there isn't the rebel!" the man shouted.

The fellow was Tom's father, d.i.c.k recognizing him at that moment. Here was the chance to create the disturbance, and d.i.c.k at once sprang at the man, knocked him down, and said:

"Take that, you sot! We will see if you can insult honest folks for nothing!"

At once there was a shout, and some of the man's friends sprang at d.i.c.k with shouts and a great uproar. In the scuffle d.i.c.k lost his long coat, letting it go rather than be seized by one of the thieves. The night watch and a number of redcoats were now seen coming on at a run.

"By George! the fellow is a rebel, after all! See his uniform."

"My word, that's d.i.c.k Slater himself! Seize him, there is a big reward offered for him."

d.i.c.k knocked down two of the crowd and pushed another into the water from the wharf. There was a great outcry, and now men and boys began coming from all quarters to see the fight. The watch and the redcoats saw d.i.c.k and hurried forward to arrest him as a rebel and for creating a disturbance. The people, fearing to be apprehended by the watch, hurried away by this and that way of escape, and d.i.c.k had a clear coast. Then he gave a signal which told the boys to get away as quickly as possible.

They had already seized the two boats and filled them rapidly.

"Take in d.i.c.k, boys," said Bob, heading one of the boats, "while I go ahead to clear the way."

Harry, Ben, Sam, Phil and others were in the other boat, which lay alongside the wharf, ready to take d.i.c.k on board. Meanwhile the alarm was spreading that d.i.c.k Slater, the captain of the Liberty Boys, was in the city and that whoever would seize him would receive a large reward.

d.i.c.k, close pressed, sounded a signal to the boys to get away at once for fear of being caught. It were better that he were taken, he reasoned, than that all the boys should be made prisoners. Bob, in his boat, thinking that d.i.c.k was all right, went on out upon the river.

Redcoats, night.w.a.tch, sailors and populace joined in the pursuit, pressing the young patriot sorely. He had to dodge and take a longer course to the boat in order to reach it at all and then signalled to the boys to go on. Harry and his boys, supposing that d.i.c.k had in some way reached the other boat, took up their oars and began to pull. Then d.i.c.k found a way suddenly to dart between two of the redcoats and run rapidly toward the water. There was a great outcry and the chase waxed hotter than ever. The redcoats and the night.w.a.tch pursued d.i.c.k to the very edge of the wharf.

The boat containing the Liberty Boys was just putting out. d.i.c.k jumped and was caught by Harry. The redcoats were too late. A furious captain, in his haste to seize d.i.c.k rushed forward with drawn sword, and in a moment went pitching headlong, and was speedily seen floundering in the water, his wig floating in one direction and his hat in another, his sword sinking to the bottom, as he was suddenly forced to swim for it or go down. The night.w.a.tch lost his lantern in the scuffle, and there was great confusion and hubbub. In the dark, men behind pus.h.i.+ng forward to see what was going on crowded redcoats and others into the river, and the confusion and hubbub grew worse and worse every moment.

"Hallo, keep back there, you are throwing us all into the river!"

"Good thing, too, to get rid of all the redcoats!"

"Push a few more in and give them a good soaking."

"Shove in a few rebels to even things up."

"What's all the trouble about, anyhow?"

"Ten o'clock of a sultry night and all's well!" drawled the night.w.a.tch, recovering his lantern and lighting it.

Then other night.w.a.tchmen came up, and there was more light and less confusion and turmoil. The redcoats were very wroth at the people for letting the "saucy young rebels" escape, and the bluejackets were angry at the rebels for taking their boats, while some of the people were wrathful at both redcoats and bluejackets, and others,--Tories, by the way--were incensed against the others and angry at the escape of the boys.

The latter were now out upon the river in the dark, but going cautiously and steadily on. d.i.c.k took the lead and worked his way between the sh.o.r.e and the nearest s.h.i.+p without being discovered, the hubbub on sh.o.r.e not having yet resolved itself into an alarm which the s.h.i.+ps could understand. The officers, supposing it to be merely a fight between rival crews or between sailors and people, paid no attention to it, and the boys continued steadily on their way. Then other boats put out, and some one shouted:

"Hallo! there's a boatload of young rebels on the river, trying to escape. Fire upon them and sink the young rascals the moment you see them!"

Now the cause of the fracas on sh.o.r.e was explained, and at once a search for the daring boys was inst.i.tuted. Lights flashed, hoa.r.s.e voices were heard calling across the water, and there was as much confusion on the river as there had been on land. One could not see as far as on sh.o.r.e, however, and the means of getting from place to place were not as numerous, and much time was lost in getting into communication one with another.

d.i.c.k knew his way and went on as rapidly as possible, and with all caution, pa.s.sing one s.h.i.+p and making his way toward the next. In the dark, the blue uniforms of the boys could easily be mistaken for the blue jackets or sailors or mids.h.i.+pmen, and d.i.c.k relied upon this to help him in his escape. A boat had been lowered, and presently the sound of the boys' oars was heard by the enemy.

"Ahoy! What boat is that?"

"Seen anything of the rebels, sir?" asked d.i.c.k, the boys pulling steadily.

"No, not yet. Have you?"

"I've an idea there's a boatload of them ahead of us somewhere, but it's dark as Erebus on the river."

"Go ahead and keep a watch. My idea is that they have not gone as far as this yet."

"An idea that you are quite welcome to, my man!" was d.i.c.k's thought.

"Everybody thinks that his idea is the only correct one."

Bob was hailed by the other boat as he followed d.i.c.k closely, and answered gruffly:

"Port, captain! Keep a watch below there, and keep a sharper eye on your duty. The rebels may have gone down the river, for all you know. There is no good in looking one way only."

"Aye, aye, sir!" and the boat went down the river.

The s.h.i.+p was pa.s.sed in safety, the boats being supposed to be filled with middies and bluejackets, and no questions were asked. There were dangers ahead of the boys, however, and they all realized that running the blockade was not going to be as easy a matter as one might think.

CHAPTER XII.--On the River.

There were other s.h.i.+ps up the river, and there were the chevaux-de-frise which the patriots had constructed to keep the enemy out, and which would now be a hindrance to the boys. They must get beyond the s.h.i.+ps and the obstructions before dawn, or they would be captured, and they all realized the dangers to be met. It was better for the two boats to keep together, but in case they were beset, it might be wiser for them to separate and the boys understood this. They had pa.s.sed the s.h.i.+ps nearest to their hiding place, and unless the alarm spread to those farther up the river, it might not be so hard to pa.s.s these also.

The alarm might be carried alongsh.o.r.e, however, and there might be boats out watching for parties of patriots trying to get over to the Jersey sh.o.r.e, and all these things must be taken into consideration in pus.h.i.+ng forward. The boys rowed steadily, all of them being accustomed to being on the water, and their progress was steady if not very rapid, it being dark on the river, and the current and the tide being both against them.

Rowing on steadily, they at length heard sounds behind them, which told them that the search below had been thorough, and that the enemy were convinced that they had gone up the river instead of down, and the pursuit was now being carried on in that direction. A bright light was seen from the masthead of a s.h.i.+p below them, this being meant as a signal to those above. As they went on, they saw a light flash from the masthead of a vessel some way ahead of them.

"Pull steady, boys," he said. "We may be able to pa.s.s the s.h.i.+p without being seen, and, if not, I think I can find a way to fool them and run the blockade."

As they went on, a boat was seen crossing their bow at some little distance, and d.i.c.k told the boys to get the lanterns ready. On they went, and at last a hail came from the boat ahead:

"Ahoy! Who are you?"

The lanterns suddenly flashed, and d.i.c.k cried:

"There are the rebels, men. Don't let them fool you. Get ready, all of you!"

"h.e.l.lo! Boat ahoy! Are you looking for rebels?"