er.

There were two columns of troops, one on the right and one on the left.
At the head of each column was a regiment, bearing fascines for filling
up the ditch and scaling-ladders for reaching the crest of the defense.
Between the two columns were marching a thousand Highlanders, in their
picturesque garb, ready to support either column on their flanks, as
might be needed.

At once the riflemen, with their unerring aim, began a rolling fire,
while the artillery, served with great steadiness and coolness, joined
in the battle.

There was great slaughter and confusion among the attacking troops, but,
like veterans as they were, they rallied and came on again.

At first, Eph Clark was shocked by the effect of the fire; but he soon
became excited, and, going from gun to gun of his battery, saw that each
was well loaded and well pointed.

Up to the very ditch surged the brave men in front of them, and one
officer, a lieutenant, came over the breastwork uninjured. Seeing Eph
and a captain of infantry standing by their guns, close to him, he
called out:

"Surrender! surrender! The place is ours!"

Rather surprised at this speech from a single man, Eph replied:

"Look behind you, sir!"

The young English officer, whose name was Lavack, did as he was told,
and saw his troops either dead or wounded or in full retreat, and
already some distance away.

"I'll have to trouble you for your sword, sir!" said Eph, after showing
him this sight.

"And to whom do I surrender?" said the young officer, gazing at Eph's
rig of silk shirt and sash and loose white trowsers.

"To Lieutenant Clark, of Lafitte's Battery." And the young officer was
led away, to be well treated.

In the meantime, while the surviving British troops were retreating from
the front, Eph Clark and those about him heard the "advance" blown from
a bugle in front of them, and, seeing no one standing so near as the
notes seemed to come from, at last discovered, perched up in a small
tree--which must have been exposed to all the storm of balls and
bullets, for many of its branches were cut away--a small music-boy of
one of the British regiments, who had sat up there, sounding the
"advance," all the time the fight was going on, and continued to do so
when his regiment was half a mile away.

Amused at the curious courage and persistency of the little fellow, Eph
and a lieutenant of Kentucky riflemen dropped down into the ditch, and
went out and captured the