father is in any danger. He is a prisoner, true, but the British don't
kill prisoners, and sooner or later father will escape-or be rescued.
That will be work for Tom and I, mother!" his eyes lighting up. "We
will make it our object in life to rescue father and get him back home
here, with you, mother."

The poor woman was not greatly comforted, however, and she shook her
head, at the same time saying, in a hopeless tone of voice:

"What could you do, you are only a couple of boys? You could not
possibly rescue father. It is useless to think of such a thing. Oh, I
greatly fear I shall never see my husband again in this world! Oh,
those terrible, cowardly Tories!" The good woman gave way to an
outburst of uncontrollable grief.

"Yes, you shall see father again, mother," declared Dick, decidedly.
"Don't worry. He is safe from personal harm, and sooner or later we
will succeed in getting him located and will rescue him. Tom and I
will make that our object in life."

"Yes, yes, mother," said Tom eagerly. "We'll join the patriot army, if
need be, to further our ends, and while fighting for Liberty and
Independence, and aiding our country in that manner, we will at the
same time be on the lookout to find father and rescue him."

"Yes, that is what we will do," said Dick. "Father would have joined
the patriot army if he had not been captured and taken away by the
Tories, and now that he is not able to do that, we will do it in his
stead. I know it is what father would wish us to do, and as Tom says,
it will give us a better chance to find and rescue father."