alluring. He asked questions about the fleet, being careful to inquire
as if actuated merely by curiosity, and he also managed to secure
information as to the number of soldiers in the army on shore. He was
told that the army, as a whole, had about twenty-four thousand men in
its ranks.

"Phew, that outnumbers our army considerably!" thought Dick. "Well, no
matter, when it comes to battle, I'll wager that we will give the
redcoats all they can do."

When Company H. had finished bathing, the soldiers marched back to the
encampment, and other companies were met on their way to the beach to
take their turn in the water.

Dick was on the alert for information all the rest of that day. He did
not learn much more, for he found that there was no intention of
attacking the patriot force on Brooklyn Heights very soon, exactly the
point on which General Washington wished to be informed. He became
convinced that it would be useless to remain longer in the hope of
securing further information, as no date for an attack had been
decided upon.

He turned his attention therefore to the problem of how if possible to
rescue the patriot spies and soldiers that were in the old hulk used
for a prison.

"I must rescue them!" was his thought. "I will rescue them!" he
decided, and he began figuring on the matter in earnest and laying his
plans.