Then he turned to Dick, and said: "Tel General Putnam I will begin
retreating toward the Heights at once."

"Yes, General Stirling," said Dick, and then he moved away, in the
direction from which he had come, while General Stirling gave the
order for his force to beat a retreat. They obeyed, though
reluctantly, for they did not know that Sullivan's force was
practically in the hands of the British, and so could not understand
why the order to retreat was given. They knew there was a strong force
of redcoats over to their left hand, however, and so they kept a sharp
lookout in that direction as they fell back. They were attacked from
that side, by a part of the force, and General Stirling, while
fighting valiantly, was surrounded and made a prisoner.

Dick, from quite a distance, saw the capture of General Stirling, and
he remained where he was for a little while, until he saw that the
main force under Stirling succeeded in getting past the British and
were coming toward the Heights, which they would undoubtedly succeed
in reaching, and then he turned and hastened on up to the Heights, and
made his way to General Putnam.

"I delivered the message to General Stirling, sir," the youth said,
"and he told me to say to you that he would begin a retreat at once."

"Very well, Dick," said Putnam. "You did well to deliver the message."

"I saw his force retreating, sir, from down the slope a ways," went on
Dick, "and I saw some of the redcoats make a prisoner of General
Stirling."