ed the angry, half-drunken man
as he was about to throw the woman to the floor.

"Stop that, you brute, or you will get into a worse place than the
river!" he cried. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

He had thrown the man on the floor but he now got up and rushed at him,
knife in hand. Dick had the knife which Tom had given him, and he met
the other's attack resolutely. The two blades clashed together, and the
man's knife fell to the floor, the boy picking it up.

"I told the captain I would kill you, if need be, to save him," he said,
"and I'll do it all the quicker to save my mother. You are a miserable,
drunken brute, not fit to live with decent folk. Go away, I will not
have you here."

"You?" repeated the man shamefully. "What have you to do with it? Isn't
this my house, aren't you my son, isn't your mother my wife? Where else
should I go? How can you turn me out--you, a mere boy?"

"Because I am the breadwinner, because you are a drone, an idle,
worthless fellow. You are not fit to associate with us. You are no
father of mine; I disown you!"

"You cannot put me out," snarled the man, advancing.

"If he cannot, I can!" said Dick, with determination. "If you do not
leave here at once, I will drag you out and denounce you as an associate
of spies, an habitual drunkard and a thief. Are you going?"

"Yes," muttered the man, cowed by Dick's resolute bearing.

Then he went out, and Dick said in a low tone:

"He will not venture to return at once, but he will seek out his evil
companions and try to overcome me yet. I must go. You are a brave boy,
Tom. Stick to your mother above all others, and you will come out all
right. Good-by, come and see us at the camp to-morrow."

Then Dick hurried out, and made his way toward Broadway where he would
be safe. Reaching a main thoroughfare at length, he went on and at last
entered the camp, where he was challenged by Ben Spurlock.

"Who goes there?" cried the boy.

"Captain Slater," was Dick's reply.

Then Ben gave a signal which brought a score of the boys running to the
spot in an instant.

"Lieutenant Estabrook has gone out to look for you, Captain, and taken a
strong party of the Liberty Boys," said Mark Morrison, coming forward.
"Were you on the East River side of the city?"

"Yes, Lieutenant, and have had some very exciting adventures. Send some
of the boys over toward the river, and I think they will find the
others. Tell them I am all right."

The boys g