se and hold it till my father comes up with the whole
troop."

Five minutes after they had left the boat, the party approached the
house. Walter halted his men for a moment in the shrubbery behind it.

"Steady, lads, and take breath. You will follow me into the house, and
keep together. Give no quarter to the scoundrels."

Scarcely had he spoken than a piercing scream, accompanied by a pistol
shot, was heard within.

"Come on, lads!" Walter exclaimed, as he rushed at full speed at the
door, the men following close at his heels.

The door was open. In the passage lay one of the maidservants, shot
through the head by one of the Hessian troopers, who still held the
pistol in his hand. Walter's pistol cracked before the man had time to
draw his sword, and he fell dead.

Then he rushed on into the hall, in which were a score of troopers,
gathered round a barrel of wine which had just been broached. In an
instant, the Irish were upon them. Many were cut down or shot, before
they had time to stand on the defensive. The rest were slain after a
short and desperate fight.

"Bar the front door!" Walter shouted. "Sergeant Mullins, take six men and
hold it against those outside. The rest follow me."

Short as the fight had been, it had given time to the rest of the
Hessians, scattered about the house in the act of plundering, to gather
on the stair, headed by their officers. Without a moment's hesitation
Walter dashed at them. In point of numbers the party were well matched;
but the fury of the Irishmen more than counterbalanced the advantage of
position on the part of the Hessians.

For five minutes a desperate fight raged. Those in front grappled each
other, and fought with clubbed pistols and shortened swords. Those behind
struck a blow as they could with sword or musket.

But the Hessians, ignorant of the strength of the force which had
suddenly thus attacked them, thought more of securing their safety than
of defending the stairs, so several of those behind slipped away and
jumped from the windows to the ground. Their desertion disheartened those
in front, and, with a shout, Walter and his troopers bore back the
Hessians on to the landing, and the latter then broke and fled. Most of
them were overtaken and cut down at once. Two or three only gained the
windows and leaped out.

The instant resistance had ceased, Walter rushed into the drawing room,
bidding the men run down and hold the lower windows. Mrs. Conyers la