from the
ships lest they do more damage to their own people on Gloucester Point
then to impudent rebels, who had the effrontery to disturb the servants
of his majesty.

The cannonading from the town still continued, now dying away to a
single shot every moment or two, and again roaring in thunderous notes
as battery after battery discharged all its cannon.

These people were not firing upon the vessels near by Gloucester; but
straightway up the river, and therefore it was we knew our people were
coming over the land in considerable force, giving no more token of an
inclination to halt because of this summons by heavy missiles, than had
those who manned the fleet.

The water front of the village was much the same as deserted when the
bow of our skiff grounded on the shore. I was too deeply excited to give
particular heed to everything within my range of vision; but it was to
me as if no man stood near at hand to observe our landing, and on
comparing notes with Pierre afterward I learned that he was of the
belief that we had come ashore into this encampment of seven thousand
soldiers without having been observed.

As we made our way up into the village we found that all the troops were
in front of us, having manned the outermost entrenchments. We passed my
Lord Cornwallis's headquarters to find it apparently deserted. At the
stable lines of the Rangers not a single horse stood, and my heart went
heavy as lead for I realized that poor little Silver-Heels, with a
red-faced, red-coated Britisher upon her back, was most likely well
toward the front where she stood a good chance of being disabled if not
killed, for by this time Pierre and I understood, because of the roar of
guns in the distance, that our people were not remaining silent under
this iron hail which the enemy were sending among them.

"If they keep this up ten minutes longer we shall have no trouble
whatsoever in making our way to old Mary's cabin," I cried almost
gleefully, forgetting in this my moment of triumph, when I was pluming
myself with having accomplished something heroic, although I had simply
taken advantage of an opportunity, that men a short distance away were
lying mangled and in the agonies of death.

"We can do better than that, lad," Pierre cried, catching me by the
shoulder as if a sudden thought had just come into his mind. "Look about
you as we run, and if so be your eyes light upon a pick or an axe, seize
upon it."

"To what end?"