" I asked, for now I was
hot with the desire to make certain of keeping so far ahead of the
enemy that I could take part in whatsoever might be done by way of
fighting.

"They will be more helpless than we, after night has come, for we know
the river fairly well, while they are strangers to it."

If it had not been that we lads were about to take part in the war I
might have refused to accept Darius' advice so readily, for, it must
be confessed, I am overly headstrong and apt to go contrary when one
makes the least show of driving me; but in the business we were about
to embark upon, I knew it was safe to follow the old man, since he had
had long experience in such matters, the telling of which would be
more entertaining than will be the account of our adventures.

It was destined, however, that the Avenger should come to anchor even
before the river was shrouded in darkness, for we were not more than
four miles above our own town of Benedict, when the wind, died away
completely, thus forcing us to make fast somewhere, unless we were
minded to drift back to our starting point.

In my ignorance, I would have anchored the pungy in the stream,
hoisting a riding light, and turned in feeling that everything was
safe and snug; but to this Darius made decided objection.

"Keep out of the channel," he said emphatically. "We know beyond a
peradventure that the enemy is astern of us, and there is no tellin'
when he may come--"

"He will wait for wind before goin' very far up the river," I
interrupted, and thus showed my ignorance of anything concerning
warfare, for the old man replied:

"It wouldn't be strange if he should send a boat in the night to make
certain of the water, and get such other information as might be
useful. This 'ere pungy would be captured by half a dozen men as
easily as if the whole British fleet was close by."

"Are you of the opinion that we should haul in to the bank?" I asked
very humbly, understanding that if we would run safely it might be
better to give Darius the command.

"Let her drop back beyond the point, an' then sneak in as far among
the trees as her spars will permit," he said, and this we did, pulling
her around by aid of the canoe until we were nicely hidden from all
save by closest scrutiny.

Right glad was I by this time that Jim Freeman and his two friends had
come aboard, for they were willing lads, who strove to do all they
might in the way of work, and we who belonged on