This Tom did and the two crouched closely to the wall, ready to spring upon the guard immediately he should appear.
“He is only lighting his pipe,” whispered Tom. “I hear him striking the flint.”
“Then we can make a break for the woods. Run your fastest, Tom.”
Then they set out on the run, making as little noise as possible. They had traversed considerably more than half the distance to the edge of the forest, when one of the guards who had walked to the corner of the building, happened to glance in their direction, and caught sight of the two youths. He was suspicious at once that one of them might be his prisoner.
“See if the prisoner has escaped!” he cried to the other guard. “And be quick!”
Then finding that Dick was gone, both the guards came rushing around the corner of the building and started in pursuit of the fugitives.
“Stop!” yelled one. “Stop, or we’ll fire!”
Of course, the patriot youths did not stop, or pay the least attention to the command. They kept right on running and were now at the line of the forest.
Into the woods Dick and Tom dashed just as the redcoats drew their pistols and fired at the fugitives. The bullets zipped into the tree trunks just back of them. Again the redcoats fired, with the same result.
“Now we are all right,” said Dick. “They have only two pistols apiece, likely, and so will not be able to fire again, unless they stop and reload, in which case we would get so far away from them that they would never get within shooting distance again.”
Gradually they drew away from the pursuing redcoats, and finally the pursuers gave up the chase and turned back. As soon as they noted this, Dick and Tom slowed their pace to a walk and took it easy.
They continued onward till they came to the bank of a creek. The bank was high, and they noted that at the point where they stood, a portion of the bank seemed to have caved away recently. They glanced downward, and saw that several tons of earth had fallen into the creek at least thirty feet below, and at a point about ten or twelve feet down the face of the bank a ledge that projected three or four feet had caught and held a ton or so of earth.
It was now almost dark, however, and the youths, after resting a few moments, were about to turn and start for the patriot encampment when to their hearing came a muffled cry for help.