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Show Ii tie Days of Peer Richard By IRVING BACHELLER Copyright by Irving Bachellar his company had captured a number of men in a skirmish. "Captain, you have done well," said the general. "I want to make a scout of you. In our present circumstances it's about the most Important, dangerous danger-ous and difficult work there is to be done here, especially the work which Solomon Binkus undertook to do. There is no other in whom I should have so much confidence. Major Bart-lett Bart-lett knows the part of the line which Colonel Binkus traversed. He will be going out that way tomorrow. I should like you, sir, to go with him. After one trip I shall be greatly pleased if you are capable of doing the work alone. Orders were delivered and Jack reported re-ported to Bartlett, an agreeable, middle-aged farmer-soldier, who had been on scout duty since July. They left camp together next morning an hour before reveille. They had an unevent-I unevent-I ful day, mostly In wooded flats and ridges, and from the latter looking across with a spy-glass into Bruteland, as they caiiea the country held by the British, and seeing only, now and then, an enemy picket or distant camps. About midday they sat down in a thicket together for a bite to eat and a whispered conference. "Binkus, as you know, had his own way of scouting," said the major. "He was an Indian fighter. He liked to get Inside the- enemy lines and lie close an' watch 'em an' mebbe hear what they were talking about. Now an' then he would surprise a British sentinel and disarm him an' bring him Into camp." Jack wondered that his friend had never spoken of the capture of prisoners. prison-ers. "He was a modest man," said the young scout. "He didn't want the British to know where Solomon Binkus' was at work, and I guess he was wise," said the major. "I advise against taking the chances that he took. It ain't necessary. neces-sary. You would be caught much sooner than he was." That day Bartlett took Jack over Solomon's trail and gave him the lay of the land and much good advice. A young man of Jack's spirit, however, is apt to have a degree of enterprise and self-confidence not easily controlled con-trolled by advice. He had been travel- ' -v CHAPTER XIV Continued. 14 I Their mission finished, that evening Jack and Solomon called at General Washington's headquarters. "General, Doctor Franklin told us to turn over the bosses and wagons to you," said Solomon. "He didn't tell us what to do with ourselves 'cause 'twasn't nec'sary an' he knew it. We want to enlist." "For what term?" "Till the British are licked." "You are the kind of men I need," said Washington. "I shall put you on cout duty. Mr. Irons will go into my regiment of sharpshooters with the rank of captain. You have told me of his training in Philadelphia." So the two friends were enlisted and began service In the army of Washington. A letter from Jack to his mother dated July 25, 1775, is full of the camp color : "General Charles Lee Is in command of my regiment," he writes. "He Is a rough, slovenly old dog of a man who seems to bark at us on the training ground. He has two or three hunting dogs that live with him in his tent and also a rare gift of profanity which is with him everywhere save at headquarters. head-quarters. "Today I saw these notices posted in camp : " 'Punctual attendance on divine service is required of all not on actual duty.' "'No burning of the pope allowed.' " 'Fifteen stripes for denying duty.' " 'Ten for getting drunk.' " Thirty-nine for stealing and desertion.' de-sertion.' "Rogues are put in terror, lazy men are energized. The quarters are kept clean, the food is well cooked and In plentiful supply, but the British over In town are said to be getting hungry." Early In August a London letter was forwarded to Jack from Philadelphia. Philadel-phia. He was filled with new hope as he read these lines : "Dearest Jack: I am sailing for Boston on one of the next troop ships to join my father. So when the war ends God grant it may be soon you will not have far to go to find me. Perhaps by Christmas time we may be together. Let us both pray for that. Meanwhile, I shall be happier for being nearer you and for doing what I can to heal the wounds made by this wretched war. I am going to away and followed, gradnally closing in upon his quarry. When they were well away from the fire. Jack came close and called, "Bill!" The sentinel stopped and faced about. "You've forgotten something," said Jack, In a genial tone. "What Is it?" "Your caution," Jack answered, with his pistol against the breast of his enemy. en-emy. "I shall have to kill you If yon call or fall to obey me. Give me th rifle and go on ahead. When I say gee go to the right, haw to the left." So the capture was made, and on th way out Jack picked np the sentinel who stood waiting to be relieved and took both men Into camp. From documents on the person of one of these young Britishers It appeared ap-peared that General Clarke was In command of a brigade behind the IIne which Jack had been watching and robbing. When Jack delivered his report the chief called him a brave lad and said : "It is valuable Information you hav brought to me. Do not speak of it. Let me warn you, captain, that from now on they will try to trap you. Perhaps, even, you may look for daring enterprises enter-prises on that part of their line." The general was right. The young scout ran into a most daring and successful suc-cessful British enterprise on the twentieth twen-tieth of January. The snow had been swept away in a warm rain and the ground had frozen bare, or ft would not have been possible. Jack had got to a strip of woods In a lonely bit of country near the British lines and was climbing a tall tree to take observations observa-tions when he saw a movement on the ground beneath him. He stopped and quickly discovered that the tree was surrounded by British soldiers. One of them, who stood with a raised rifle, called to him : "Irons, I will trouble you to drop your pistols and come down at once." Jack saw that he had run Into an ambush. He dropped his pistols and came down. He had disregarded the warning of the general. He ihould have been looking out for an ambush. A squad of five men stood about him with rifles In hand. Among them was Lionel Clarke, his right sleeve empty. "We've got you at last yon d d rebel !" said Clarke. "I suppose you need some one to swear at," Jack answered. "And to shoot at," Clarke suggested. "I thought that you would not care for another match with me," the young scout remarked as they began to move away. "Hereafter you will be treated like a rebel and not like a gentleman," Clarke answered. "What do you mean?" "I mean that you wm be standing, blindfolded against a wall." "That kind of a threat doesnt scare me," Jack answered. "We have too many of your men In our hands." CHAPTER XV fn Boston Jail. Jack was marched under guard Into the streets of Boston. Church bells were ringing. It was Sunday morning. Young Clarke came with the guard beyond the city limits. They had seemed to be very careless In the control of their prisoner. They gave him every chance to make a break for liberty. Jack was not fooled. "I see that you want to get rid of me," said Jack to the young officer. "You'd like to have me run a race with your bullets. That is hasp in. 1- ''yourcautionTJ Tflp be a nurse in a hospital. You see the truth Is that since I met you, I like all men better, and I shall love to be trying to relieve their sufferings. . . ." It was a long letter but above Is as much of it as can claim admissfon to these pages. "Who but she could write such a letter?" Jsck asked himself, and thn he held It to his lips a moment. It thrilled him to think that even then she was probably in Boston. In the tent where he and Solomon lived when they were both In camp, he found the scout. The night before Solomon had slept out. Now he had built a (small fire In front of the tent and lain down on a blanket, having delivered his report re-port at headauarters. "Margaret is in Boston," said Jack as soon as he entered, and then standing stand-ing In the firelight read the letter to his friend. "Thar is a real, genewine, likely gal," said the scout. "I wish there were some way of getting to her," the young man remarked. re-marked. "Might as well think o' goln' to h 1 .in' back ag'in," said Solomon. "Since Bunker Hill the British are like a lot o' hornets. I run onto one of 'em today. to-day. He fired at me an' didn't hit a thing r the air an' run like a scared rnbbit. Could 'a' killed him easy but I kind o' enjoyed seeln' him run. He were like chain lightnin' on a greased pole you hear to me." "If the general will let me, I'm going go-ing to try spy duty and see if I can get into town and out again," he proposed. pro-posed. "You keep out c' that business." Bnld Solomon "They's too many that know ye o.'er In town. The two Clarkes an' their friends an' Colonel Hare an' his friends, an' Cap. Preston, an' a hull passle. They know all 'bout ye. If you got snapped, they'd stan' ye ag'in' a wall an' put ye out o the way quick. It would he pie for the Clarkes, an' the ol' man Hare wouldn't spill no tears over It. Cap. Preston couldn't save ye. that's sartin. No, sir, I won't 'low it. They's plenty o' old russes fer such work." For a time Jack abandoned the Idea, but later, when Solomon failed to return re-turn from a scouting tour and a report re-port reached camp that he was captured, cap-tured, the young man began to think of that rather romantic plan again He had grown a fu'.l h?nrd : bis skin whs tanned; his clothes were worn and torn and faded. His father, who had visited the camp bringing a supply sup-ply of clothes for his son. had failed, at first, to recognize him. December had arrived. The general ns having his first great trinl In tteplng an army about him. Terms Of enlistment wire expiring. ('old weather had come. The camp was uncomfortable. un-comfortable. Regiments of the homesick home-sick lads of New England were leaving leav-ing or preparing to leave. Jack and a number of young ministers In the service serv-ice organized a campaign of persuasion persua-sion and many were prevailed upon to re-enllst. But hundreds of boys were Hurrying homeward on (be frozen i rods. I One Jay Jpck w sen tor Ha aar) i gratitude. I was careful of you when we met and you do not seem to know it." "I know how well you can shoot," Clarke answered. "Rut you do not know how well I can shoot." "And when I learn, I want to have a fair chance for my Life." Beyond the city limits young Clarke, who was then a captain, left them, and Jack proceeded with the others. The streets were quiet Indeed almost al-most deserted. There were no children chil-dren playing on the common. A crowd was coming out of one of the churches. In the midst of It the prisoner saw I'reston and Lady Hare. They were so near that he could have touched them with his hrnd a he passed They did not see him. He noted the name of the church and Its minister. In a few minutes he was delivered at the jail a noisome, Ill-smelling, badly ventilated place. The yard was an opening wnlled In by the main structure and its two wings and a wooden fence some fifteen fif-teen feet high. There was a ragged, dirty nibble of "rebel" prisoners, among whom was Solomon Binkus. all out for an airing. The old scout had lost flesh and color. He held Jack's band and stood for a moment without speuking. (TO BE CONTINUED.) ing alone for three days when he felt the need of more exciting action. That night lie crossed the Charles river on the ice in a snowstorm and captured a sentinel and brought him back to camij. Soon after that the daring spirit of the youth led him Into a great adventure. adven-ture. It was on the night of January fifth th.it Jack penetrated the British lines in a snowstorm and got close to an outpost in a strip of forest. There a camp fire was burning. He camp close. His garments had been whitened by the storm. The air was thick with snow, his .feet were mufried In a foot of It. He sat by a stump scarcely twenty fe-t from the fire, seeing those in its light, hut quite invisible. There he could distinctly hear the talk of the Britishers. It related to a proposed evacuation of the city hy rlowe. "I'm weary of starving to death in this God-forsaken place." said one of them. "You can't keep an army without with-out meat or vege'ahlps. I've eaten fish till I'm getting scales on me." "Colonel R'fhngtnn says that the army will leave here within a fort night." another observed. It was Important Information which had come to the ear of the young scout. The talk was that of well-bred Englishmen Eng-lishmen who were probably oITlcers. "We ought not to speak of those matters r.loud." one of them remarked. "Some d d Yankee may be listening like the one we raptured." "lie was Amherst's old scout," said another. "He swore a blue streak-when streak-when we shoved him into jail. They don't lik? to be trealed like ro!.,. is. They want to be prisoners of wr." A youm: man enme along w.'rh Ids rlrtp on bis shoulder. 1 "Hello, Bill!" said one of the men. "fining out on post ? "I am, find help im-.-' the youth answered. an-swered. "!'! what I'd call a h I of ii night." i ! The sentinel passed close by .Tack on I ! Ms --n- '- his poi. The latter crept J |