anted, the animal could not
have understood him any better; for he darted away at his swiftest
gallop, and bounded through the valley like the flight of an arrow.
Deck had slung his carbine over his shoulder, and carried the naked
sabre in his hand, with the scabbard attached to his belt.

As the lieutenant advanced he obtained a view of the field, and could
measure the progress of the action as far as it had gone. Four shots
had been sent from the fort; though after Captain Grundy had scattered
his men, the last two were less effective than the first two. Up to
this time the guerilla leader evidently believed that he had no enemy
except the few men in the vicinity of the mansion. It was after the
second gun from the breastwork that Deck had given the signal for the
advance of the second company.

At the onslaught of this company, consisting of about eighty troopers,
Grundy could not help seeing that he was outnumbered two to one, and
that his opponents were trained soldiers, mounted upon excellent
horses; and he had no alternative but a hasty retreat. He led them in
the direction of the road; but at this time Deck had given his second
signal, and the first company were stretching across the field to
intercept his flight. It must have been an appalling sight to him, and
he saw that he must be ground to powder between the upper and the
nether millstone.

Deck had reached his place at the head of his platoon, which Life Knox
was glad to yield to him. Captain Gordon was on the flank at the left.
His command was stretched across the field, and were a wall of steel
against the farther retreat of the enemy. It was about half a mile from
the second company, which was driving the guerillas before it upon the
point of their sabres. The captain called a halt when the head of his
column had reached what appeared to be a swamp, and faced them to the
enemy, ready to charge upon the broken ranks of the ruffians.

"This can be nothing but a butchery," said Captain Gordon, as he reined
in his horse in front of his second lieutenant; and his tones and his
manner indicated his disgust at this sort of warfare.

"When I was in the mansion, Captain Grundy surrendered to me; but when
I proposed to secure him with cords and straps, he broke away from us,
and we were unable to recapture him," added Deck.

"It is not usual to bind captured prisoners," suggested the captain.

"But we had only half a dozen men, and I would not trust the fe