ll hazards of executing
his commission. He had not ridden far, when the sound of voices
through the splashing of the rain arrested his attention.
Pulling up, he listened in silence, and soon discovered that they
came from two American soldiers, whether stragglers or sentinels
it was impossible to divine; but whoever they were, they seemed
to be approaching. It now struck him that his safest course
would be to commence the attack, and having therefore waited till
he saw them stop short, as if they had perceived him, he rode
forward, and called out to them to surrender. The fellows turned
and fled, but galloping after them, he overtook one, at whose
head he presented a pistol, and who instantly threw down his
rifle, and yielded himself prisoner; whilst the other, dashing
into a thicket, escaped, probably to tell that he had been
attacked by a whole regiment of British cavalry. Having thus
taken a prisoner, my friend resolved to make him of some use;
with this view he commanded him to lay hold of his thigh, and to
guide him directly to the river, threatening, if he attempted to
mislead or betray him into the hands of the Americans, that he
would instantly blow out his brains. Finding himself completely
in my friend's power, the fellow could not refuse to obey; and
accordingly, the man resting his hand upon the left thigh of the
officer, they proceeded along the lane for some time, till they
came to a part where it branched off in two directions. My
friend here stopped for a moment; and again repeated his threat,
swearing that the instant his conduct became suspicious should be
the last of his life. The soldier assured him that he would keep
his word, and moreover informed him that some of our ships were
almost within gun-shot of the fort; a piece of information which
was quickly confirmed by the sound of firing, and the appearance
of shells in the air. They now struck to the right, and in half
an hour gained the brink of the river: where my friend found a
party just landed from the squadron, and preparing to seek their
way towards the camp. By them he was conducted to the Admiral,
from whom he learnt that no effectual support could be given to
the land force; for such was the shallowness of the river, that
none except the very lightest craft could make their way within
six miles of the town; and even these were stopped by vessels
sunk in the channel, and other artificial bars, barely within a
shell's longest ran