ercy of our people who are coming down from the North to
join General Lafayette."

"Ay; but if so be the English succeed, then is General Lafayette's force
at their mercy."

"Ay, lad, and it may be a toss-up. At all events, I have it in mind that
whatsoever is going on at sea just now decides the fate of this portion
of the king's troops. Even though the Frenchmen do no more than hold
their own, and prevent the Britishers from driving them out of
Chesapeake Bay, then must the day speedily come when my Lord Cornwallis
will be crying for quarter."

"With all the fortifications that have been thrown up around this town
of York, it strikes me he may hold out many a long hour before being
forced to show the white flag," I said bitterly, and the little French
lad added cheerily:

"You forget that your people, under the command of my countryman, can
work as well if not better with pick and shovel, than have those
red-coated servants of the king, and I make no doubt but that there will
be as strong lines of entrenchments opposing my Lord Cornwallis, as he
has thrown up for his protection."

"And in the meantime we shall be between the two, or what is the same
thing, exposed to the fire of our own people, and taking our chances of
a stray ball from the redoubt here near the point," I said as my heart
shriveled once more under the influence of fear.

CHAPTER X

NEWS OF SAUL

Pierre Laurens and I might have stood on the river bank and argued as to
the future until the crack of doom without its affecting matters in any
way, or without our being the wiser, save that we watched what was
happening around us, for, luckily, no person may look into the future.

We were so excited by the distant sounds of the battle which was raging
between our friends in the French fleet and those whom his majesty had
sent to whip us into submission, that for the time being all thoughts of
Saul had completely gone out of my mind. It was as if the lad did not
exist, until mayhap two hours had passed, when Pierre bethought himself
that it was our duty to go back to old Mary's cabin in order to acquaint
Uncle 'Rasmus with what was going on, and then I spoke my cousin's name,
reproaching myself because I had thus seemingly neglected him.

"You need not be so bitter against yourself, Fitz Hamilton," little
Frenchie said with a shrug of the shoulders. "It seems certain that we
of ourselves can gain no information whatsoever concerning Saul