armed men are not sent out under cover of darkness unless for a
weighty reason, but what that may be beats me."

It was idle for us to speculate as to the future, and yet we did
throughout that march of nearly three hours, although we failed to
succeed in convincing ourselves upon any one point until we were come to
Charlestown Neck. There we found drawn up by the side of the road, wagon
after wagon filled with spades, pick-axes and such like tools, whereupon
Hiram cried suddenly:

"I'm not claiming to be any great shakes of a soldier; but he must be a
blind man who could not see that our business this night is to throw up
intrenchments at some place, and where should that be, considering the
road we have come, if not in Charlestown?"

Again did it appear as if our officers were not fully decided upon what
should be done, for Colonel Gridley and Colonel Prescott, together with
a number of captains, consulted a long time, while we remained in line
near the wagons.

Then we were ordered forward again, nor did that portion of the command
which our Minute Boys followed halt until we were come to a hill in
Charlestown, mostly of pasture land, lying about an hundred and thirty
rods southeast of Bunker hill, where all hands were speedily set to work
with spades and pick-axes throwing up the earth to form breastworks
according to instructions given by Colonel Gridley.

We Minute Boys could handle pick-axe or shovel as well as any man, and
I'll answer for all that they labored most industriously once the work
was laid out for them.

"If we were hankering for danger, truly we are getting all that is
needed," Archie whispered to me as we stood side by side throwing up the
mound of earth which was to protect our people against the onslaught of
the Britishers. "It seems as if we were close upon the lobster backs,
for more than once have I heard the cries of their sentinels, and unless
the king's ships have changed anchorage since I was last in Boston town,
then they must be near to this shore."

Our officers understood as well as did Archie or I, how much of danger
there was in our thus working under the very noses of the enemy, for,
when not wielding the pick or shovel, they were walking around among the
men cautioning them against making any noise save that which was
absolutely necessary, until I came to believe there was even more of
peril in this undertaking than the lads of our company had fancied.

The dullest among u