"Hurray," thought Dick, "that means Fritz and then he can't be very seriously wounded."
Dick crept up behind the hut, which was built of stout logs, and discovered with joy that there was a small barred window. Through this he lightly threw a small stone to attract the prisoner's attention.
"Get oud," yelled Fritz, who was surprised from his sleep by the missle.
"Wait till I come in," said his guard, from the other side of the house. "Quit your Dutch dreams and prepare to go on to the next world, cause you're due to take that trip tomorrow, sure."
Then when things had quieted down again, he called to Fritz softly through the window. The German boy got up from the couch on which he was lying and looked out cautiously. He almost shouted when he distinguished his friend in the semi-darkness.
"Are you badly hurt, Fritz?" asked Dick anxiously.
"Nein," was the answer, "dot fool saddle slipped the horse off and me and mine horse went mit it the dust into."
"Good," ejaculated Dick, "I'm glad it's no worse. Now how about getting out?"
"Dere iss a chimney big enough," said Fritz, "and the door is only barred on the other side, but there is a soldier there."
"The chimney, then," said Dick, "for we can't get past the guard at the door. Why haven't you escaped before this?"
"Vell, I fell asleep ven they put me in here, and you voke me up just now," confessed Fritz, sheepishly.
"Up the chimney now, quick," ordered Dick, "and be quiet, too."
Fritz disappeared, and after quite an interval Dick saw his stout comrade laboriously climbing over the top of the structure. But Dick wasn't alone in this strange sight. One of the soldiers saw him too, and, yelling out the alarm, sprang for his gun just as Fritz jumped to the ground. Dick leading, both started running through the woods.
The two fugitives made a detour through the underbrush, tearing their clothes and making noise enough to guide the pursuing Red-coats. Dick and Fritz turned sharply to the left, stepping quietly for a few paces, and found themselves in the opening, before the very prison Fritz had so recently deserted, while the chase streamed by in the darkened woods, and the cries of the soldiers roused the neighboring fire-groups to action.