ks triumphantly,
when, suddenly, and one after another, burst in the midst of them,
the grenades which had been hurled prematurely on the discharge of
the field piece, and striking panic into their body, caused them
once more hurriedly to retire.

But this check was only momentary. Rendered reckless at every moment
from the liquor which all had more or less imbibed at different
periods of the battle, and ashamed that they should be kept at bay
by so mere a handful of men, the dark mass now fiercely closed upon
the little party that bore off the wounded officer, and commenced
their attack.

Meanwhile, Captain Headley, seeing this resolute forward movement
of the Indians, and anticipating the certain destruction of the
whole, moved his little square rapidly towards the gun, causing
his men to take with them the ammunition which had been collected
there, and soon the piece was again loaded and turned to his front.
But it was found impossible to discharge the gun without endangering
the lives of his own men more than those even of the enemy, for
the Indians in immediate pursuit kept themselves so cautiously in
the rear of the former, that, in the position he then occupied, it
was impossible to reach them alone. The only movement that could
save them was a rapid change of ground, so as to enable him to take
the enemy in flank, and of this he hastened to avail himself by
again occupying the sandhill. This was done; but in the short
time taken to effect the movement, the bloodhounds had too well
profited by their advantage.

At the head of the pursuers was the Chippewa, Pee-to-tum. His voice
had been loudest in the war whoop, as his foot had been the most
forward in the advance; and his denunciations of the dog Headley,
as he called him, were bitter, and he called loudly for him that
he might kill him with his tomahawk.

"Save yourselves, men, and leave me to my fate," exclaimed the
Virginian, as he heard the voice of the Chippewa almost in his ear.
"Nixon, remove the colors from my shoulders and take them into the
square. I shall not die happy until I know them to be secure."

"Nay, sir," said the non-commissioned officer, "we will not, cannot
desert you; and, if we would, it is now out of our power--we are
too closely pressed--we must fight to the last."

"Then drop me, and turn and fight. Let us not be struck down like
dastards, with our backs to the enemy. Where is that musket?"

"Here it is, sir," said the serje