We are not prepared to assault the
place if the enemy hold it in force. But if you will follow the advice
of an old soldier, we will beat a retreat before we lose any of our
number. I will go forward with a flag of truce. I don't know whether
the Indians will respect it; but if I see anything suspicious, I will be
careful not to allow them to take a steady aim at me."

On hearing this, I begged my father to allow me to go instead, but this
he refused. Tim then offered to go, but my father firmly persisted in
keeping to his resolution.

Mounting one of the horses, which had hitherto been led in the rear to
keep them fresh for necessary work, he fastened a flag at the end of a
ramrod, and, while we halted, rode rapidly forwards, waving it over his
head in a way which would distract the aim of any one firing at him.

I anxiously watched his progress, expecting to see him wheel round and
gallop back to us; but presently, to our great satisfaction, the gate of
the fort opened, and an officer, followed by several men, came out.

"It's all right," cried Captain Norton, giving the word to advance, and
in a few minutes we were shaking hands with the commandant of the fort.
On the captain asking why we had been fired at, he was told that the
musket had been discharged by one of the sentries--of course, an
Irishman!--who had mistaken us for a band of Red Indians.

"I am glad my worthy countryman was not a better shot," said my father,
"or one of the best officers in the service would have been lost to his
country."

"We have no best officers among us; we are all excellent," observed
Captain Norton, laughing; "and I hope our friend Pat won't be punished
for being a bad shot."

The commandant had a sad account to give us. A few days before, the
general commanding the forces in Florida, with several officers, had
been incautiously dining at the settlement we had just passed. Not an
enemy was supposed to be in the neighbourhood. The evening had been
spent pleasantly, and the guests were preparing to retire to their
homes, either in the settlement or in the fort, when a loud war-whoop
was heard, and a shower of bullets came rattling into their midst.
Nearly the whole were shot down at once. Two or three managed to escape
to the fort, aided by the darkness of night; but the Indians, springing
on the remainder of the survivors, struck them to the ground, and
carried off their scalps. The garrison had been afraid to fire