"That's our lookout, young man," returned the leader. "We can't see anything else to do under the circumstances. You admit having come from the British camp, and didn't declare yourselves when we caught you, so I guess your story won't stand in the face of the evidence against you."
Things looked very black to the two boys at that moment, and there passed before the minds of each all of the incidents in their exciting young lives. Meanwhile the soldiers prepared two ropes to place about their necks, and after asking for any last requests they had to make, led the boys to a strong tree and threw the ends of the ropes over the lower branches.
The two youths had borne themselves bravely through this ordeal and were prepared to go to the end, whatever it might be, in a suitable manner, although Fritz was nearly in tears at the thought of what their finish must be.
"I can't forgive myself for bringing you into this, Fritz," said Dick, brokenly.
"Dot's all right," said Fritz, "mapy der ropes vill preak."
Before Dick could reply to the German's humorous remark and forlorn hope, a brisk volley was fired from around a bend in the road, and the Patriot outposts ran hurriedly toward the shelter of the trees, one of them falling before he had gone more than a few paces, badly wounded by the first discharge.
The men quickly abandoned Dick and Fritz, and grasping their guns, ran crouching to the nearest stone wall in front of them.
"It's the British!" cried one of the pickets.
"Come on, men, and we'll give a good account of ourselves," shouted the captain. "Keep behind the walls and they can't touch us."
He and the other leaders rushed across the field toward the oncoming British. The latter swept around the bend in the road in regular formation and fired a volley with telling effect at the Patriot band. The leaders, more impetuous than the men, suffered severely, and all of them dropped either dead or wounded. The men, however, kept on and without further loss gained the shelter of the stone wall. But without their leaders the defence gradually weakened and the men began to drop back and take refuge behind the second wall. The boys had been onlookers up to this point, but the defeat of the Patriots was too much for their enthusiasm and with the ropes still hanging, unheeded about their necks and trailing out behind, the two youths leaped to the front and snatching up guns from the dead soldiers, shouted to the demoralized and scattering members of the band.