ing to
the most careful estimates, the loss of the British in killed and
wounded was 120. They behaved most gallantly, getting no assistance
from the cowardly Indians, who kept themselves out of harm's way in a
ravine near by.

"The assault had lasted only about half an hour. Lossing tells us,
'The dark storm cloud in the west passed northward, the setting sun
beamed out with peculiar splendor, a gentle freeze from the southwest
bore the smoke of battle far away over the forest toward Lake Erie,
and in the lovely twilight of that memorable Sabbath evening the brave
young Croghan addressed his gallant little band with eloquent words of
praise and grateful thanksgiving. As the night and the silence
deepened, and the groans of the wounded in the ditch fell upon their
ears, his generous heart beat with sympathy. Buckets filled with water
were let down by ropes from the outside of the pickets; and as the
gates of the fort could not be opened with safety during the night, he
made a communication with the ditch by means of a trench, through
which the wounded were borne into the fort and their necessities
supplied.'"

"Oh, how good and kind he was!" exclaimed Grace. "I am proud of him as
one of my countrymen. Is he still living, papa?"

"No, daughter; he died in New Orleans on January 8, 1849."

"The anniversary of the great victory there in the War of 1812! Was he
not rewarded for his gallant defence of Fort Stephenson?"

"Yes; he was brevetted lieutenant-colonel for his gallantry, and some
twenty years later Congress voted him a gold medal in acknowledgment
of it. In 1846 he joined Taylor's army in Mexico and served with
credit at the Battle of Monterey."

"You have given us an interesting tale, captain," remarked Cousin
Ronald as the story seemed to have come to an end--"one that was
really new to me; for I have read but little about that war--which I
hope we can always refer to as the last between the mother country and
this, my adopted one--the native land of my bonny young wife," he
added with a loving and admiring look at Annis.

"Ah, my dear, how true it is that love is blind," said Annis softly,
giving him a look of fond appreciation.

"Ha, ha! A pair of old lovers!" laughed a voice that seemed to come
from somewhere in the rear of the little party.

"Yes, that's what we are," said Annis with mirthful look and tone.

"And who are you that dares to say such saucy things to our company?"
asked Ned, looking s