en you
were afraid to do so, and he who can control himself under such
circumstances may be counted a brave lad."

While we had been talking the cannonading ceased gradually, until by the
time Pierre was done with his efforts to soothe me, comparative silence
prevailed. Straightway we lads forgot all else in the desire to know
what had been done; whether our people had retreated, or if the
Britishers had fallen back, and I was on the point of proposing that I
go out to get an idea of the situation when the door suddenly opened,
and to our great surprise and delight the Jerseyman flung himself
headlong into the room, as if he had run until so exhausted that he
could no longer remain on his feet.

We closed the door behind him speedily, as you can well imagine, and
then barricaded it to the best of our ability, after which we darkened
the windows with blankets lest some curiously inclined soldier might
pass that way and see who was our visitor.

We had no water with which to refresh him, therefore it was we could
only wait until he was in a measure revived, for strong though the man
had appeared to be, now was he apparently on the verge of exhaustion.
His face was powder-stained, as if he had been doing full share in
holding back our people, and his clothing torn and rent, showing token
of some desperate struggle.

Not until four or five minutes had elapsed, during which we knelt by the
side of the man unable to give him any aid, did he recover some portion
of his strength, and then he said, speaking indistinctly because of his
heavy breathing:

"There is nothing to cause alarm. The enemy have not discovered who I
am; but yet would I hide myself here with the hope of being able to make
my way through the lines this night."

"But with whom have you been fighting?" I cried, pointing to his
trousers which literally hung in rags.

"That was done in the trenches when seeing, as I believed, an
opportunity to get into our lines, and having as companion only a
wounded Britisher, I strove to make my escape; but he, suspecting what I
would do, grappled with me. The fellow had more strength than I gave him
credit for, because he held me in good play, and before I succeeded in
overcoming him there were so many red-coats around that I dare not make
the attempt."

"Then he knows that you are a spy, and will give information to
Cornwallis!" I exclaimed, my voice trembling with excitement, and the
Jerseyman replied gravely: