mpany.

"There's Tim Murphy!" cried Elerson joyously. "He has your horse,
Captain!"

Down the hill from Burke's Inn came Murphy on a run, leading my horse;
behind him sped the Weasel and a rifleman named Sammons, and Burke
himself, flourishing a rifle, all greeted lustily by the brown ranks
behind me, amid shouts of laughter as Jimmy Burke, in cap and
fluttering forest-dress, fell in with the others.

"Captain Renault, sorr--" I turned. Murphy touched his raccoon cap.

"Sorr, I hov f'r to repoort thot ye're sweet lady, sorr, is wid Butler
at Johnson Hall."

"Safe?" My lips scarcely moved.

"Safe so far, sorr. She rides wid their Major, Ross, an' the
shtaff-officers in gold an' green."

I sprang to the saddle, raised my rifle and shook it, A shrill, wolfish
yelling burst from the Rangers.

"Forward!" And "Forward! forward!" echoed the sergeants, as we swung
into a quick step.

The rifles on the hill by the Hall were speaking faster and faster now.
A white cloud hid the Hall and the trees, thickening and spreading as a
volley of musketry sent its smoke gushing into the bushes. Then, in the
dun-colored fog, a red flame darted out, splitting the air with a
deafening crash, and the thunder-clap of the cannon-shot shook the
earth under our hurrying feet.

We were close to the Hall now. Behind a hedge fence running east our
militia lay, firing very coolly into the wavering mists, through which
twinkled the ruddy rifle-flames of the enemy. The roar of the firing
was swelling, dominated by the tremendous concussions of the
field-piece. I saw officers riding like mounted phantoms through the
smoke; dead men in green, dead men in scarlet, and here and there a
dead Mohawk lay in the hedge. A wounded officer of Massachusetts
infantry passed us, borne away to the village by Schoharic militia.

As we started for the hedge on a double, suddenly, through the smoke,
the other side of the hedge swarmed with men. They were everywhere,
crashing through the thicket, climbing the fence, pouring forward with
shouts and hurrahs. Then the naked form of an Indian appeared; another,
another; the militia, disconcerted and surprised, struck at them with
their gunstocks, wavered, turned, and ran toward us.

I had already deployed my right into line; the panic-stricken militia
came heading on as we opened to let them through; then we closed up; a
sheet of flame poured out into the very faces of Butler's Rangers;
another, another!

Bo