heard by such of the enemy as were able to come in pursuit.

When we had come near the gate, the Tories now well sobered by fright,
Colonel Gansevoort himself hailed, and again the sergeant replied, but
this time in a respectful tone, after which we heard the command to open
the port.

A throng of curious, laughing men crowded around as we marched in, and not
until the uniforms of our prisoners could be seen did they believe we had
really made a capture.

It was a squad of Johnson Greens which we had run across so fortunately
and accidentally, and none of St. Leger's force could have been more
welcome to our lads than they, for that organization was made up wholly of
renegades from the Mohawk Valley, who needed such a lesson as we were now
in position to give them.

With such proof as we had with us, Colonel Gansevoort could no longer
doubt the report which had already been brought in by Jacob. He had not
thought it possible the entire force of the enemy could be in a helpless
condition, and it is hardly to be wondered at that he was incredulous.

The prisoners were speedily cared for in such a fashion that there could
be no possibility of their escaping, and then the commandant summoned all
three of us who had visited the British encampment, to his headquarters,
that we might tell the story to himself and the officers.

No one could even make a guess as to what had happened within the enemy's
lines; but there was not a man present who did not believe that now had
come our time to raise the siege in such a manner that the fort would not
be invested again for many days to come.

"When your messenger came in with his report, he admitted that you had
seen but a small portion of the encampment, therefore I hesitated to
accept it as a fact regarding the entire army; but now, after you have
made a tour of the works, it would be worse than folly to delay," the
commandant said to the sergeant. "If you who have so lately returned want
to join in the sortie, it will be necessary to make your preparations
quickly."

And the old man replied, grimly:

"The advance can't be made any too soon to please us, sir."

Chapter XIX.

The Pursuit

No more than three hundred men were sent out to take advantage of the
singular state of affairs which we, the scouts, had reported as existing
in the British camp, and when I expressed surprise because of the small
number ordered on duty, Sergeant Corney replied, contentedly