on the
double quick, and then those grumblers who had declared we had been sent
to this place that we might be sacrificed, were forced to hold their
peace, for the dullest among them must have understood that General Ward
had sent to us all the men that could safely be spared from the posts
nearabout.

"How many think you we shall number after yonder troops come up?" I
asked of Hiram, and he put the figure at about three thousand. I have
since seen it set down that the whole number of our people, including
those who came to cover the retreat, did not exceed four thousand.

I felt better in mind after Hiram had replied to my question, believing
that we would be somewhere near even in point of numbers; but within ten
minutes that sense of security had vanished, for I saw yet another fleet
of barges coming out from Boston town laden with infantry, marines, and
grenadiers.

Hiram could not but note the look of dismay which came over the faces of
the Minute Boys on seeing these reinforcements, for he said laughingly,
as if the whole matter was a gigantic joke:

"General Howe must indeed be a prudent man. The king's governor has said
that a British soldier is the equal of five such rag-tag as makes up
our army, and yet he doesn't deem it wise to come toward us until his
army is increased by two thousand or more. Let us say there are five
thousand lobster backs yonder and on the water, yet 'twixt now and
nightfall we shall show them that little more than half the number of
our people can play hob with the whole blooming outfit."

Then he fell to whistling Yankee Doodle, that tune which the Britishers
had set for the purpose of making sport of our people, and it was well
he took it up just then, for more than once during the battle which
followed did I hear our fifers and drummers screaming and beating out
those notes of derision, as if to tell the red-coated hirelings that
Yankee Doodle had indeed come to town, and come to stay even longer than
might be pleasant.

The British reinforcements arrived at Madlin's ship-yard, some of them
remaining on the shore at the point of disembarkation, and others
marching to join those on Morton's hill.

Now truly did it seem as if the prudent General Howe had made all his
arrangements for wiping us off the face of the earth, and yet he
lingered like the small boy that stands naked on the brink of a stream
of icy water, knowing he must plunge in sooner or later, but dreading
woeful