The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.

They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.

And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.

It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.

The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.

Presently they caught sight of the redcoats approaching, but it was seen a few moments later that it was only an advance guard. The redcoats had heard the sound of the battle, and were cautious, and had sent a reconnoitering party ahead, so as to avoid an ambush.

The patriots, knowing they would be discovered before the main force reached the spot, opened fire on the party as soon as it came in range, and several of the redcoats were dropped, dead or wounded.

The rest beat a hasty retreat, and rejoined the main force, and reported the presence of the patriot force at the top of the ridge. The party came to a stop, and the officers held a council.

Two or three of the officers were for making an attack, but the others thought differently, and so it was decided to make a detour and go around the patriots.

This was done, but the patriots learned of the movement, through Dick, who had followed the reconnoitering party and kept watch on the British, and the patriots managed to reach a point from which they could fire on the British as they passed, and killed and wounded a few.

The redcoats returned the fire, but did not stop to show fight. They kept onward at as fast a pace as possible, until they reached the fort, which they entered, and they received a hearty welcome from Major Cruger, who had begun to think that he would have to surrender the fort.

The patriots went into camp about a mile from Fort Ninety-Six, and it was decided to wait and see what the British would do.

“I believe that we could hold this position, here on the top of this ridge,” said General Greene. “And I am in favor of staying and giving them one battle, at any rate.”

The other officers agreed with him in his view of the matter, and so they put in the rest of the day, strengthening their position by throwing up earthworks.

When this had been finished, the patriots settled down to take it easy and await some move on the part of the British.

Dick and Tom and Ben were stationed near the fort, to keep watch and report any move the enemy might make, and General Greene felt that his force would be able to make a good showing, as the patriot youths would send him word if the British emerged and started to come toward the camp of the patriots.

No such move was made that day, however, nor during the night, and the patriots had an opportunity to get rested up, after their hard work during the siege. It was a privilege appreciated by both officers and men.

Next morning, however, the British came forth from the fort, and began to advance toward the point where the patriot force had taken up its position.

They advanced slowly, and Dick sent word by Tom that the redcoats were coming, and General Greene began making ready to receive the enemy.

Dick and Ben moved back slowly, till they came to the patriot position, and then they informed General Greene of the nearness of the British, who put in an appearance a few minutes later.

The British made an attack, advancing swiftly and firing as they came. They charged up the slope, toward the patriot position, but the patriots, crouching in the ditch, with the earthwork before them, were in a protected position, and as soon as the redcoats were within range, they opened fire.

The battle was on, and a lively battle it was, for a while. The rattle of the musketry and pistols was loud, and the yells of pain from the wounded British soldiers added to the din. The patriots were not injured much, because the bullets from the enemy’s weapons did not penetrate the earthworks.

The British made a desperate attempt to enter the encampment and capture the patriot force, but they failed, and finally retreated, taking their dead and wounded with them.

The patriots were very well satisfied with the result of the battle, but they realized that they might not be successful again, and so General Greene called a council and asked the officers if they did not think it best to begin a retreat.

The officers said they favored retreating, as the British were now too strong for them, and so that evening, after supper was over and the soldiers had rested a while, they broke camp and started on the march toward the east.

They marched onward till about midnight, and then they stopped and went into camp. They were far enough away from the British, so that they did not fear an attack, but there might be Indians around, though hardly in strong enough force to make much trouble.

The patriots did not break camp next morning till rather late, and they had just got started, when a British force was seen approaching from the direction of Fort Ninety-Six.

“They are coming in pursuit,” said General Greene.

This was indeed the case, and during that day there was almost a constant exchange of shots between the British and the patriots.

A large party of Indians put in an appearance, also, and aided the British in hindering the marching of the patriots as much as possible.

The redskins were so good at concealing themselves behind trees that it was difficult to injure them, and they did considerable damage.

That night the patriot force went into camp on the top of a knoll and made its position as strong as possible. Double the usual number of sentinels were stationed, and it would not be possible for the British to take them by surprise.

The British did not make an attack that night, however, but instead encircled the encampment of the patriots, and when morning came, the patriots found that they could not proceed, unless they fought their way through the British lines.

What to do was the question. If they remained, they would probably sooner or later be captured, as the British force was more than twice as strong as their own, and to try to break through the enemy’s lines would be to cause the loss of many patriot lives.

It was decided, at a council, to remain on the knoll and hold the British in check as long as possible.

“If we can get word to General Sumpter, he will come to our assistance,” said General Greene, and he summoned Dick Dare and asked him if he were willing to make the attempt to slip through the British lines, after nightfall, that evening, and carry a message to General Sumpter.

As the readers of the Dare Boys stories know, and as they will see by reading the next volume, entitled, “The Dare Boys With La Fayette,” Dick Dare was always ready to attempt any feat, no matter how dangerous, if it would benefit the patriot cause, so now he said promptly that he would make the attempt.

The British did not make a strong attack, that day, but contented themselves with firing at the patriots whenever they caught sight of one. The patriots returned the fire, and thus the day passed, and evening came.

And as soon as it was dark, Dick Dare started on his perilous expedition, and worked his way slowly and cautiously through the British lines. He had selected the weakest point of the line for his attempt, and he succeeded in getting through, though he was discovered by a sentinel as he was hastening away, and was fired at. He ran swiftly, however, and although he was pursued, he managed to escape in the darkness.

He had received instructions as to the whereabouts of Sumpter, from the man that had brought the news of the coming of the British force, and so he did not have a great deal of difficulty in finding Sumpter.

When Dick told Sumpter that the patriot force under General Greene was surrounded by a superior force of British and that he needed assistance, Sumpter said that he would go to the assistance of the patriot party at once.

He set out, with his force, consisting of about five hundred men, and reached the vicinity of the encampment of the patriot force about the middle of the afternoon of the next day.

He advanced and attacked the British with great energy, and they, taken by surprise, were thrown into great disorder. Then the patriot force on the knoll charged out upon the British, and added to the confusion, and for a while there raged about as fierce a battle as one would expect to see.

The British tried to rally and hold their ground, but could not do so, and finally they broke and fled at the top of their speed, pursued by the patriots, who were glad to turn the tables on the British.

The British continued on in the direction of Fort Ninety-Six, and it seemed evident that they did not intend to linger in the vicinity of the patriots, now that they had a strong force.

Generals Greene and Sumpter held a council, and after considerable discussion, decided not to follow the enemy and try to capture Fort Ninety-Six.

Instead they joined forces and went to another part of South Carolina, where the redcoats and Indians were causing the patriot settlers a lot of trouble, and made it so hot for the British and Tories and Indians that they were glad to cease operations and head in the direction of Fort Ninety-Six.

The patriots were well satisfied with their work. They had stopped most of the work of plundering by redcoats, Tories and Indians, and were ready to start to make it lively for other gangs of Tories and Indians, in other parts of the country.

Dick and Tom Dare, and Ben Foster, having gotten through the campaign without being wounded, were well pleased with their part in the campaign, and were eager for further adventures.

“I like the excitement of battling with the British,” said Tom, as they sat in camp, at evening, and talked of the exciting adventures they had gone through in the past few weeks. “I hope we will soon get started on another series of adventures just as exciting.”

“I don’t like fighting for the sake of the excitement of the fight,” said Dick; “but I am always glad to be fighting when it is to be for the benefit and good of the patriot Cause.”

“That is the way I look at the matter,” said Ben. “I shall be glad when the war ends, so far as I am concerned.”

“And so shall I,” said Dick.

“Sure an’ it’s mesilf thot loikes foightin’ as well as the nixt wan,” said Tim Murphy. “But Oi’ll be willin’ to settle down an’ take it aisy whin the war is over.”

“Yah, und dot is der vay I loog at id,” said Fritz Schmockenburg.

“Well, there will likely be a lot of fighting yet, before the war is ended,” said Tom.

“There will be considerable fighting in the next few months, likely,” said Dick.

And he was right. The war did not end till more than a year later, when the British were defeated at Yorktown.