CHAPTER XXXIII.

Robin Day discovers his friend Dicky Dare; but his pleasure is damped by a new misfortune,which separates him from his brother adventurer, and sends him again upon the world a fugitive.

THE disorder into which our company was thrown by this furious attack, afforded me the opportunity I had so long desired for effecting my escape-an opportunity, however, of which I did not immediately take advantage, owing to my fears and confusion of mind; having no other thought at that time but how to get out of the reach of the frantic militia-men, who were dealing death upon all before them. But a circumstance that befell in the battle betwixt Tom Gunner and the young officer, which was fought, as I may say, hard by me, startled me from my panic, and recalled the thought of escape. The appearance of the captain of militia presented nothing unusual to my eyes; but his voice, proclaiming defiance and the confidence of victory over his opponent, electrified my inmost spirit-it was the voice of my friend Dicky Dare! Yes! a look at him, as his valiant arm whirled in the air to strike the blow that brought the vanquished Gunner to his feet, convinced me it was indeed he, whom the lustre of a martial uniform could now no longer conceal from my eyes. It was he, my friend and brother in arms, fighting, like a young Mars, fighting in the front ranks of victory, fighting, too, which was equally

advantageous and glorious, on exactly the right side, on the side of his country.

The apparition of my friend and fellow adventurer, so long lost, so long sought, filled me not only with surprise, but with joy and rapture; and shouting his name, with a cry half plaintive, half triumphant, I rushed towards him, to put myself under his protection and command, with the full intention of turning my arms against my friends of the Jumping Jenny. But it was, I soon found, no easy matter to claim an acquaintance, or renew a friendship, on the field of battle.

A dozen combatants rushed between me and my friend; and, worse than that, they turned their unfriendly arms against me, some crying "No quarter for the robbers," while others more mercifully bade me "Surrender," which I was very willing to do. "Surrender, you British murderer and plunderer!" cried one, with tones of the most virtuous indignation, clutching me, at the same time, by the collar. The voice was another surprise; and I beheld in the captor no less a man than the missing master of the Jumping Jenny, the detested Skipper Duck.

The villain recognised me at the moment of speaking, and a grin of exultation illumined his dark and vindictive countenance. "Little Cock Robin! blast my oyster-tongs!" he cried, giving me at the same time, a furious box on the ear, and another at the back of it, before I could recover from my surprise. Then, clutching me tighter than before, he swore I was "a valuable capture-that I was a traitor, an Americanborn subject, who had volunteered with the British, and been with them at the burning of Frenchtown, and Havre de Grace, and I know not how many other fields of foray beside-that he was a witness, and could swear to all he had charged me with—that

they themselves, the militia-men, had caught me in the very act of treason, fighting, with the British, against my own country and fellow-citizens-for which I ought to be hanged; as I undoubtedly would be." In short, I found that I had stepped from one dilemma into another, that Skipper Duck had consigned, or was on the point of consigning, me to that very fate I had so patriotically proposed for him, and that I was in the fairest possible way of being carried to the gallows for high treason.

There was, indeed, some prospect of my escaping this undesirable catastrophe, by being murdered on the spot, Duck's companions, the militia-men, being so exasperated by the charges, which I could not contradict, (how could I, since they were all perfectly true,) that some of them proposed to blow out my brains, without further ceremony or inquiry.

At this moment, while I was vainly struggling to explain away the guilt of my apparent treason, by representing from what good motives I had acted, my friend Dicky Dare came hobbling up, (for, it seemed, he had taken an honorable wound in the battle,) and, with a tremendous voice of authority, ordered his men to continue the pursuit of the enemy, who were still on the retreat, declaring, as if the lives of all mankind depended upon his will, that "not a soul of them," meaning the British, "must be suffered to reach their boats alive." Upon this, all opened their lips to boast their fortunate capture of a traitor, and I to claim the protection of my brother-in-arms.

Dicky Dare looked astonished at the sight of me, and was still more amazed at the charge of treason so volubly preferred by the malignant Skipper, and so hotly confirmed by his companions; but putting on the look of a commander-in-chief, and swearing

like a private, he ordered his men to follow after the enemy without further delay, and leave the prisoner to him: "On my brave fellows!" said the youthful chief" the enemy is not yet cut to pieces: on, then, and cover yourselves with immortal glory!"

"Immortal glory for ever! hurrah for Uncle Sam!" cried the gallant ragamuffins, immediately resuming the pursuit of the enemy-all except Skipper Duck, who seized me by the collar again, swearing I was "his prisoner, and he was n't going to give me up for nobody, blast his fish-hooks—but would carry me to head-quarters, where he expected to be handsomely rewarded for his prize."

"What, you mutinous rascal! do you disobey orders?" quoth Dicky Dare, aiming with his sword a terrible blow at the refractory Skipper, which the latter avoided by leaping aside, without, however, loosing his hold of me; until I, encouraged by the countenance of my friend, took part in the affray, and knocked the vindictive caitiff down. He then sneaked off, swearing, as he went, that he would report the valiant Dicky at head quarters for befriending the renegade whom he had in vain taken prisoner.

"A confounded insolent scoundrel," said Dicky in a fume;" think, by Julius Cæsar, I have seen the rascal before.”

"Yes," said I, "it is that notorious villain, Skipper Duck, that used to be of our town."—But Dicky's thoughts were upon more important subjects.

"I say, Mr. Robin Day, by Julius Cæsar," said he, in great haste, yet with exceeding dignity"there's no time, while the battle is raging, to talk; a brave man, sir, can think of nothing but fighting; so VOL. I.-21

we must be short.-Do you mean to allow, sir, you landed on this soil in company with British forces?" "I did, Dicky. But

"And that you came with arms in your hands, a volunteer in the British service?"

"I did, Dicky. But-"

"And that you fought with them at Frenchtown and Havre-de-grace?"

"Yes, Dicky. But"

"But what?" cried the young patriot, surveying me with disgust, and putting on the lofty port of a hero: "do you expect to excuse such an act, sir? an act of treason, sir? I'd have you to know, sir, by Julius Cæsar," he added, with increased dignity and emphasis, "I despise a traitor above all created things! -My old friend Sy Tough a volunteer in the British service!"

I explained to him that that was a mere stratagem of war-that I had volunteered in the first place by mistake, and then continued to bear arms only for the purpose of effecting my escape to my friends, the Americans.

"Hem," said Dicky, with the snort of a warhorse blowing the breath of contempt on his enemies, —“and do you`suppose that that excuse will serve your turn at a court-martial? that such a motive as that—or any motive, by Julius Cæsar, sir, will justify you, sir, or any body, sir, by Julius Cæsar, sir, in taking up arms against your country, sir?"

These questions fairly set my hair upon end; and I felt that it was a great omission I had made not to ask them of myself, when first adopting that sagacious device by which I designed to effect my escape from the British.

"I believe I have been a great fool, Dicky," said