many adventures crowded into the short space of one night!" panted
the captain of the Crusoe band, as he followed the chief up the cliff.
"I would give something handsome to know what is going to happen next!"

Tom had indeed enjoyed his full share of excitement since the sun went
down. He had been captured by the Philistines, and confined as a
prisoner of war in the farm-house; he had taken an active part in
storming the stronghold of the rebels; and was now toiling up the path
in pursuit of a spy, who, if he escaped, would return with a force
sufficient to surround and capture the Crusoe band. Nothing in his
experience with the Night-hawks could equal the adventures of this
night, and they were by no means ended. He would have been astonished
had he known that they were only just begun. If the events that were to
happen during the next few hours could have been revealed to him, he
might have been tempted to desert the band and return to his home. The
derision of his acquaintances, and the extra office duties that would,
no doubt, have been imposed upon him, would have been light punishment
indeed, compared with what was in store for him. The race up the cliff
was a short one. The Crusoe men had a decided advantage of the fugitive,
for they had traveled the path so often that they had but little
difficulty in following it; while the spy's progress was delayed by the
rocks and bushes, over which he stumbled in the dark, making noise
sufficient to guide his enemies in the pursuit.

"He aint fur off," whispered the governor, "an' he's alone, too. If
there were any fellers with him we could hear 'em. Hold on, up there!
You can't escape, an' you'll fare a heap better if you surrender to
onct."

But the spy was evidently not one of the kind who surrender upon demand.
He held steadily on his way, although his pursuers gained at every step,
and when they had accomplished about half the distance to the summit,
Sam was near enough to the fugitive to seize him by the collar.

"Surrender now--no foolin'!" said he, in a very savage tone of voice.
"We'll treat you like a man if you behave yourself."

Somewhat to the governor's surprise, the spy offered no resistance. The
darkness was so intense that he could not see how many enemies he had to
deal with, but, knowing that they were much too strong for him, he
suffered himself to be led down the path to the chasm. The fire kindled
by the mutineers was still burning brightly and b