nly sport of badgerin' your
commander, an old soldier who knows his business, an' had you been with us
it is certain you'd never made the attempt to get back. Go on to your
death, you fool, an' I'll hope it don't come so soon but that you'll have
time to realize you did all in your power to bring it about the more
speedily."

By this time we were well within the ravine which has already been
described, and the old soldier had hardly ceased speaking when from amid
the foliage ahead and on every side came a circle of fire like unto the
lightning's flash, followed by the crackling of firearms, which served to
drown the death-cries from every portion of our lines.

We had marched like children into the ambush, and on the instant a blind
rage took possession of me because I had followed the mutineers when I
knew full well to what they were hastening.

Even as the flashes of light sprang out from among the leaves, I saw
Colonel Cox, he who was responsible for all that flood of death, leap high
in the air, only to fall back dead, and at the same moment General
Herkimer's horse reared and screamed in a death-agony.

It was as if every second man of the command fell before that withering
fire, and in the midst of the tumult of groans, screams, and savage
war-whoops could be heard shouts behind us, telling that the rear-guard,
who a few moments previous were prating of their bravery, had turned and
fled like cowards that they were.

More than the rear-guard would have beat a retreat at that moment, but for
the fact that the baggage-wagons hemmed us in so that flight was
well-nigh impossible.

It seemed as if I lived a full hour during the terrible ten seconds that
elapsed after the first volley was fired by the hidden foe, and then I
heard Sergeant Corney crying in my ear, his voice sounding as if afar off:

"It is for you an' I, lad, to look after the general! He is wounded!"

Then it was that I realized the commander was pinned to the earth by his
dead horse, and, without being really conscious of my movements, I ran to
his side.

The old soldier and I had no more than bent over General Herkimer to learn
how we could best release him from his dangerous position, when a second
volley came from amid the foliage, and those alleged soldiers of the
command who were yet alive ran wildly to and fro like frightened chickens,
seeking some way of escape, rather than standing up like men to battle for
their own lives.

Without