Dick had drawn near as the soldiers entered the camp, and had managed
to catch Tom's eye and give him a warning look. He hoped that his
brother would be very careful, and not let it be seen that they were
known to each other.

"Whom have you there?" queried General Percy, as the party came to a
halt in front of him.

"We found this youngster over yonder in that bit of woods, General
Percy," said one of the soldiers. "He was sitting there, eating a
lunch, and when we appeared and asked him who he was and where he came
from, he seemed frightened and could make no satisfactory answer."

"I wasn't frightened, any such thing!" said Tom, his eyes flashing. "I
am not frightened even now, sir. I was surprised, for they came upon
me so suddenly, and the leaped at me as if I were a desperado, and
naturally I may have seemed a bit confused in my answers to their
questions. But I wasn't frightened, sir."

Something like a grim smile appeared for an instant on the general's
face, as he looked at the bright face of the boy.

"So you were not afraid, eh?" he remarked. "Well, if you are not a
rebel spy or an enemy to the king, there is no reason that you should
be afraid. What is your name?"

"Tom Dare, sir." Tom had given his real name to the soldiers, but had
wished afterward that he had given a fictitious one. Now he could do
nothing other than give his own name.