The Liberty Boys Running the Blockade

by Harry Moore

swimming in the river!" cried the spy.

  "So it is," growled Jeb. "Hello there!"

  "Put about," muttered Fletch. "It's the rebel. He can float. We must getafter him."

  Dick swam on, the boat putting about, and now the light of a lantern wasshining over the waters.

  "Ha! there he is!"

  "Shoot the rebel, no one will hear!"

  "Yes, we've got to get him!"

  Crack! There was a report, but Dick had just sunk under water and wasunhurt. On came the boat, Dick rising just astern of it. In a moment heseized the gunwale and swung the boat around with all his might, at thesame time tipping it at one side. There was a cry of alarm, and thensome one cried from the ship Dick had seen:

  "Get away from here, you water rats, or you'll get a shot or two in yourgullets that you won't like."

  There was a sudden splash, and Dick knew that some one had fallen intothe river from the boat. He had released it, and was now making his waytoward the wharf at good speed. There were more outcries from the river,but Dick could not see the lantern now, and judged that it had fallenoverboard. The inability of the men to see Dick worked for his safetynow, and he swam on to the wharf at a good rate. Nearing it, he heardthe boy Tom say in a cautious voice:

  "Who is that?"

  "It is I, Tom, thanks to you," said Dick. "Without that knife I shouldhave been drowned."

  "Come this way, Captain," added the boy. "Do you see me?"

  "No, but I know where you are."

  Dick swam toward the boy and was helped by him to land.

  "You saved me from a thrashing, and you saved the money I had for mymother," the boy said. "But for that he would have got it, and motherand the little children would have had nothing to eat."

  "You earn money for your mother and the children, do you?" asked Dick,interested.

  "Yes, sometimes quite a good deal, but I have to be careful about it,for if he finds out that I have it, he takes it away and then we have togo without. I have to lie to save it often. Is that very wicked,Captain?"

  "No, it would be better for you not to lie, but to face him down andtell him plainly that the money was for the support of the family andnot for him to squander in drink."

  They were hurrying along now, the boy in the lead, the sounds from theriver showing that the men were coming back.

  "Yes, that is right and I shall do it, but come, they will raise analarm and you will have trouble in getting away. This way, Captain."

  They went down an alley, the boy taking Dick's hand, and presentlyturned into a narrower one where Tom shortly pushed open a door andentered a house.

  "It is Tom, mother," the boy said. "I have got the captain with me. Thescheme worked well, fortunately, and he cut his way through the sack."

  "You were obliged to take desperate chances, sir," said a woman's voice,"and I told Tom that I feared they would be too desperate. He would havereleased you if he could."

  "Yes, I know, ma'am, but he gave me great assistance and I am accustomedto taking desperate chances."

  The woman lighted a tallow dip and then exclaimed in surprise:

  "Why, Tom, you said he was a captain! This is but a boy, not very manyyears older than yourself."

  "He is the captain of the Liberty Boys, mother. They are all boys, someof them no older than myself. This way, Captain, and I will get you someclothes to take the place of the wet ones."

  The boy then led the way into a smaller room, where he brought out asuit of clothes somewhat small for Dick, but neat and clean.

  "You had best keep them," said Dick, as he removed his soaking garments,"and if you will come to the camp to-morrow, you can have your ownagain."

  He rapidly exchanged the wet for the dry clothes, Tom giving him aruffled shirt, saying:

  "That is a gentleman's shirt, but I suppose you do not mind, on apinch?"

  "No," with a laugh, "I do not, but I hear some one coming."

  "Yes, but he does not know of this place, and if you are quiet he willnot hear you. There is another way out which I will show you."

  Dick finished his dressing as he heard Fletch say:

  "Some one helped the rebel, and I'd like to catch him! Where is that boyTom?"

  "He is not here."

  "Well, I can see that!" savagely. "Where is he?"

  "He has gone out," simply.

  "Whereabouts? To earn money? He gave you some to-night. Where is it?"

  "You cannot have it," resolutely. "Some of it has been spent for thechildren and the rest is put away."

  "I want it. I am drenched and chill with cold. The plagued rebel upsetme into the river. I must have liquor to take out the chill. Give me themoney."

  "No, I will not. I will make you some hot tea, which will be better foryou. I have never refused to help you when you were yourself, but I willnot let you turn yourself into a beast and make the children go hungryand naked."

  "Give me the money, I say!" savagely, and then Dick heard a frightenedscream from the other room.

  "Quick, let me out, Tom!" he cried.

  The boy was ahead of him, but Dick followed only an instant behind,sprang into the room he had left and seized the angry, half-drunken manas he was about to throw the woman to the floor.

  "Stop that, you brute, or you will get into a worse place than theriver!" 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 metthe other's attack resolutely. The two blades clashed together, and theman'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 nothave you here."

  "You?" repeated the man shamefully. "What have you to do with it? Isn'tthis my house, aren't you my son, isn't your mother my wife? Where elseshould 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 nofather 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 notleave here at once, I will drag you out and denounce you as an associateof 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 evilcompanions 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 allright. Good-by, come and see us at the camp to-morrow."

  Then Dick hurried out, and made his way toward Broadway where he wouldbe safe. Reaching a main thoroughfare at length, he went on and at lastentered 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 thespot in an instant.

  "Lieutenant Estabrook has gone out to look for you, Captain, and taken astrong 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 someof the boys over toward the river, and I think they will find theothers. Tell them I am all right."

  The boys gave a cheer, and then Mark despatched a dozen boys to look forBob, Dick going to his tent to change his clothes. In time Bob and hisboys came back, and there was great rejoicing in camp, everybody beinganxious to hear Dick's adventures. Dick told them, the boys being moreincensed than ever at the spy and determined to capture him and put himout of the way of doing any more mischief.

  "That boy Tom was a plucky fellow and a grateful one as well," decla
redBob. "That is the sort we want in the Liberty Boys."

  "Yes, but he is needed at home," Dick returned, "and would probably haveto do the cause good in other ways than joining us. He would be anacquisition, of course, but I would not ask him."

  All was quiet in camp at length, and no alarms of the approach of theenemy were heard, although it was not long before they would be.

  CHAPTER IX.--The Spy in the Toils.

  The next morning Tom came into camp, the boys giving him a hearty cheeras soon as they knew who he was, and asked to see Dick.

  "He has