ys uncertain. Independent of the risk you run from the shot of the
enemy, we may be overcome, and then your fate would be a sad one. It
will be wise in you if you will consent to leave us at once. A boat is
being made ready to ferry you across the river, and on the other side
the country is occupied by patriot troops."

Still Mrs Tarleton would not consent to go. She knew that her presence
would encourage the garrison to resist to the utmost. I would very much
rather for her sake, and especially for that of her niece, that she had
gone at once to a place of safety. As, however, I must, at all events,
be a non-combatant, I felt that I could remain by their side and aid
their escape. The better to be able to do this, I set off at once to
examine the situation of the place, and to see that the boat was in
perfect readiness to cross the river. Caractacus and his companion, I
found, were both accustomed to pull an oar. There was a horse-boat also
at hand, and as there would probably be time before the attack
commenced, I got Colonel Barlow to allow the horses and baggage to be
conveyed across at once, and left at a farm-house of which he told me,
at a short distance from the banks. I directed Caractacus and Sambo, as
soon as they had performed this duty, to return at once, so as to be
ready for any emergency.

"Is, massa, we come back and fight de Hessians; oh, ki, berry likely,"
exclaimed the negro, giving a poke with his elbow at his sable
companion's ribs.

The other grinned, as if he considered the bare possibility of his doing
such a thing a very good joke. I saw that I could not very well depend
on them.

"No, I don't want you to fight, only to help the ladies escape; you
understand me? I promise you a dollar each if I find you at the boat
when I come down."

The negroes understood this sort of reasoning better than any argument I
had used, and promised obedience. Had Mrs Tarleton, however, known
beforehand of the arrangements I had made, I believe she would have
countermanded them, so confident was she on all occasions of the success
of her party. When any defeat had occurred, she evidently looked on it
as an exception to the general rule, or rather as a means to the
victorious termination of the strife.

By the time I had made all the arrangements I had described it was past
midnight. Some of the gentlemen retired again to their beds, but I with
others sat up. My position was rather a curious o