a shout, and some of the man's friends sprang at Dick
with shouts and a great uproar. In the scuffle Dick lost his long coat,
letting it go rather than be seized by one of the thieves. The night
watch and a number of redcoats were now seen coming on at a run.

"By George! the fellow is a rebel, after all! See his uniform."

"My word, that's Dick Slater himself! Seize him, there is a big reward
offered for him."

Dick knocked down two of the crowd and pushed another into the water
from the wharf. There was a great outcry, and now men and boys began
coming from all quarters to see the fight. The watch and the redcoats
saw Dick and hurried forward to arrest him as a rebel and for creating a
disturbance. The people, fearing to be apprehended by the watch, hurried
away by this and that way of escape, and Dick had a clear coast. Then he
gave a signal which told the boys to get away as quickly as possible.
They had already seized the two boats and filled them rapidly.

"Take in Dick, boys," said Bob, heading one of the boats, "while I go
ahead to clear the way."

Harry, Ben, Sam, Phil and others were in the other boat, which lay
alongside the wharf, ready to take Dick on board. Meanwhile the alarm
was spreading that Dick Slater, the captain of the Liberty Boys, was in
the city and that whoever would seize him would receive a large reward.
Dick, close pressed, sounded a signal to the boys to get away at once
for fear of being caught. It were better that he were taken, he
reasoned, than that all the boys should be made prisoners. Bob, in his
boat, thinking that Dick was all right, went on out upon the river.
Redcoats, nightwatch, sailors and populace joined in the pursuit,
pressing the young patriot sorely. He had to dodge and take a longer
course to the boat in order to reach it at all and then signalled to the
boys to go on. Harry and his boys, supposing that Dick had in some way
reached the other boat, took up their oars and began to pull. Then Dick
found a way suddenly to dart between two of the redcoats and run rapidly
toward the water. There was a great outcry and the chase waxed hotter
than ever. The redcoats and the nightwatch pursued Dick to the very edge
of the wharf.

The boat containing the Liberty Boys was just putting out. Dick jumped
and was caught by Harry. The redcoats were too late. A furious captain,
in his haste to seize Dick rushed forward with drawn sword, and in a
moment went pitching headlong, and w