Dick strained his eyes, but could not catch sight of the speakers. He
could only judge of their location and distance from him by the sound
of their voices, and he judged that they were perhaps a dozen yards
from him. This was rather close, if they were British soldiers, as he
had no doubt they were, and he decided that the best thing for him to
do was to get away from their vicinity as quickly as possible. It
would be well to be silent about it, too, for if they should discover
his presence, they would doubtless make a great outcry and try to
capture him.

He began edging away, toward the left. Every once in awhile he paused
to listen. The voices could still be heard, but not so plainly as at
first. He was gradually getting farther and farther away from the
speakers, and would have been successful in escaping from the vicinity
without his presence having been discovered, but for an accident. He
struck his foot against a good-sized stone, which was lying right on
the edge of a rather steep slope, and the rock, becoming dislodged,
went tumbling and plunging downward through the underbrush, making
what seemed to be a great noise, coming as it did in the midst of the
night stillness. It sounded as loud as thunder in Dick's ears.

"Now I've done it!" he murmured, in some dismay. "That will rouse them
sure."

He was right, for instantly there came the challenge, loud and clear:

"Halt! Who comes there?"

There could be no doubt regarding the matter, now; the men Dick had