e guards of the night before. While the
excursionists were at tea, the colonel and Mr. Terry had been walking
about with an object in view; and the latter gentleman informed his
son-in-law that "the cornel has a shplindid oiday in his moind." Colonel
Morton was requested to favour the company with it, and proceeded to do
so. "From what infohmation I have had fuhnished me by my fellow-soldieh,
Mr. Tehhy, I pehsume you have pehmitted the attacking fohce to select
its own basis of opehations, and have yohselves stood almost entihely on
the defensive. With a small fohce, this is vehy often the only couhse
to puhsue. But, as I now undehstand from reeliable infohmation brought
in, the enemy's fohce of seventeen is reduced by four, while that of the
gahhison is augmented by three--the doctor, myself and my sehvant. Ah,
no; I fohgot you have had one sad casualty, as my niece infohms me, in
the fall of Mr. Nash; which leaves the strength of the gahhison fohteen,
as against thihteen of the assailants. My friend, Mr. Wilkinson, infohms
me that a small detachment of five men, well ahmed, holds a foht some
six miles in the dihection of the enemy. Now, gentlemen of the council
of wah, can we not obtain that this friendly outpost make a divehsion in
conceht with the offensive paht of our ahmy? Send a scout with
instyuctions foh them to occupy the wood neah their foht, and, eitheh
with blank or ball cahtyidge--as you, Genehal Cahhathers, may
dihect--meet the enemy as ouah troops dyive them back, and thus pehvent
them seeking the coveh of the trees against us. This being done, send a
scout, mounted if possible, to guahd against attack from the left; post
pistol sentinels round the buildings, and fohm the rest of the available
fohce into an attacking pahty occupying the strategic point examined by
Mr. Tehhy and me: I allude to the plantation to the reah of the right
wing. Just as soon as the enemy comes up to occupy that position, chahge
them like bulldogs and drive them as fah as possible towahds the road,
and at last bring them undeh the guns of our friendly foht. That, I
think, is bettah than losing heaht by watching all night long and
endangehing the safety of the ladies. Such, gentlemen, is my humble
counsel."

"Hark till him, now, jantlemen; pay attintion till him, all av yeez,"
exclaimed Mr. Terry; "fer 'tis the wurrud av a sowldjer and an
offisher."

"Assume command, Colonel, if you please. We are all ready to obey
orders," sai