egged leave to go and tow her up. This I allowed him to do,
telling him that I would remain till he and the other boats came up. I
began to fear, however, that the missing boat might have been cut off.
Away dashed the gallant fellows after her. Whatever might happen, I
resolved not to attempt to escape myself unless I could bring off the
rest of the boats or the survivors of their people with me, though, from
the fastness of my own boat, I might possibly have effected that object.
My men behaved admirably, though exposed to so hot a fire; not a murmur
escaped them at the delay, while they lay on their oars waiting for the
appearance of the missing boat. The other two boats I saw coming on,
and they soon caught me up. Great was my relief to see Bruton, with the
Thames's boat in tow, at the same time emerge from the darkness. Then,
once more, away we all went together down the stream.

I own myself that, under other circumstances, I should have very much
liked to have had a shot at our pertinacious foes, and I have no doubt
so would my followers, but the knowledge that Madeline's father was
among them restrained my arm, and I felt a curious satisfaction in being
fired at without attempting to injure my assailants in return, and that
I might hereafter be able to assure him that I had not knowingly lifted
my hand against him.

We were not long about doing what I have been describing. Had we, I do
not believe one of us would have escaped the leaden shower rattling
through the air and splashing up the water on every side, literally
wetting our faces. I could already feel several holes in the side of my
boat close to me; then there was a deep groan of suppressed pain, but no
one ceased rowing. On we went. A sharp cry from one of the boats
astern of me showed me too clearly that another of my people was
wounded. Still the boats dashed on with unabated speed. This success
made me hope that we might still escape. We had passed, I thought, the
greater part of the narrow portion of the river. I had not much fear,
when we could reach the wider parts, that we should get through unless
attacked, as I have said, by a flotilla of boats.

Never did I hear such a rattle or cracking of rifles as the four or five
hundred militia and irregulars kept up on us. However, there was
nothing derogatory to their character as marksmen that they had hitherto
done so little execution, for had they been the best sharpshooters in
the wo