All was quiet till noon, and then as he saw the soldiers eating their
dinners, he was assailed by a feeling of hunger. He resolutely
dismissed the thought of food, however, and stuck to his position. He
was determined to stay till evening, at any rate, and then if he had
not secured any information, he would go to a farmhouse which he saw
about a mile distant, to the eastward, and get something to eat, after
which he would return to his post. He was determined to remain in the
vicinity of the army till he learned something of value in the way of
news regarding the intentions of the British, if it took him a week.

He climbed down out of the tree presently and walked about, in the
thicket, stretching in legs and feeling much better afterward, for his
position had been a cramped one at the best.

When the British soldiers began moving around again, after dinner,
Dick climbed up into the tree once more, for some of the redcoats
might visit the clump of trees at any time. A party of four of the
soldiers did enter the thicket an hour or so later, and throwing
themselves down in the shade, talked and laughed for some time, but
although Dick listened with intense eagerness, no words were spoken
that gave him any information. If the soldiers knew of any intended
move on the part of the British army, they did not mention the fact in
their conversation, which was made up of idle talk, of the kind as
such men would naturally indulge in.

When they left and returned to the encampment Dick drew a breath of
relief, for he felt that every minute they remained in the clump. of
trees he was in danger of discovery. He might make a noise, in
shifting his position, and be heard, or he might have to sneeze, or
cough. And if he were to be discovered, it would go hard with him, for