moved hurriedly
away, losing himself in the crowd that thronged the wharf at the time.

"I don't think I shall have any more trouble from Mr. Fletcher," thought
Dick, "or not on account of this affair, at any rate."

He remained on the wharf till nearly sunset, and then set out for the
camp, where he arrived shortly before supper. There was an alarm during
the night, and early the next morning Dick learned that some ships had
passed up both rivers, and not long after this there was the sound of
heavy firing at some distance above the city, and the boys knew that the
enemy had succeeded in landing troops. There was great excitement in the
city, and many of the inhabitants began leaving in great haste.

Dick hurried off to Putnam's quarters, and soon afterward word was
received that the city was to be evacuated. The general despatched Dick
to the lower part of the city to see that there were no ships coming up
the river and to warn the men at the lower batteries to leave. Dick took
Bob and a dozen or more of the boys with him and hurried away on foot,
sending Mark and the rest of the boys toward the upper part of the
island. The boys had performed a part of their mission and were
returning, when they suddenly heard a great bombarding from the river
and at the same time saw a considerable body of redcoats coming toward
them.

"To the stone house, boys!" hissed Dick. "These fellows know nothing of
it and we are safe there."

The stone house was the nearest place of refuge, and the boys hurried to
it, the redcoats losing sight of them. They reached the place in safety,
and were all inside and out of sight before the redcoats came to the
wharf and began to look for them. The door above was closed and looked
as if it had not been open in months, the boys not having been seen to
enter it. Dick and Bob hurried below, leaving Ben, Harry, Sam and others
at the upper door, while the rest scattered through the building. There
were a few persons on the wharf below when the redcoats came along, but
these had not seen the boys and knew nothing about them.

"What place is that?" asked a sergeant of redcoats of one of the
loungers, pointing to the stone house.

"Just an old warehouse," the man answered.

"Is there any one in it?"

"No, not now," was the reply.

Dick was listening at the door, and he knew the man to be one of the
rascals who had been in the house but had escaped. There was a reason,
therefore, for the man not