hen?"

"I dink not; he vas Light Dragoon. I haf the vagon guard--the first
vagons--an' see him there. Mine Gott! he come pack vid his mens all
right--slash, shoot--his horse rear up; that vas the last I see already."

"The lad got away, with three others, sir," broke in a new voice at my
back. "They wheeled and rode through us, across the water. We thought the
horse guard would get them over there, but I guess they didn't; anyhow
there was no firing. The fellows must have turned in under the bank, and
rode like hell."

Satisfied as to this incident, and not altogether regretful that the boy
had thus escaped, I held a short consultation with Duval, seeking
explanation as to why the command had been so unceremoniously thrust upon
me. A few words only were required to make the situation clear. Farrell's
ability to injure and annoy the enemy largely depended on his leadership
not being known. While taking part in every engagement, he always
required his lieutenants to represent him in negotiations, so that up to
this time, whatever the British might suspect, they had no positive proof
that he was openly in arms against them. Duval, in turn, taking advantage
of my presence, had shifted the responsibility to my shoulders.

"But what do you people do with your prisoners?" I asked.

"Send 'em to the Continental lines when we can," he explained, "and if we
can't then turn 'em loose. No use paroling 'em, as they consider us
guerillas. If I was you I'd run 'em back to the farmhouse across the
creek, an' hold 'em there till we get rid of this stuff. Maybe it'll take
twenty-four hours to hide it all, and burn the wagons. Then the boys can
turn 'em loose, an' there's no harm done. I'd like to take that fellow
Grant into our lines--he's a mean pillaging devil--but it's too big a
risk; Bristol is about the nearest picket post, and the Red-coats have
got cavalry patrols all along in back of the river."

"But I cannot wait here," I answered, impatiently. "Farrell understood
that. I have important information for Washington, and only came with you
to-night because you were following along my route. I've got to go on."

"That's all right; just give your orders, and we'll attend to the rest.
What we want is for these lads to go back to Philadelphia saying they
were attacked by a force of militia under command of an officer of the
Continental line. That will give Clinton a scare, and turn suspicion away
from us. Grant knows you, I unde