ould
have been in my mind that we might need more than sufficient to arm
ourselves I cannot well explain.

When I returned to that scene of carnage Pierre had already gathered a
goodly assortment of accouterments from those men whose bodies had not
been mangled, for even he shrank from dyeing his hands with blood.

Well, in short, we gathered all the weapons, ammunition and
accouterments that could be come at handily, depositing our burdens
beneath the puncheon planks where were the muskets, and when the task
was finished I turned upon little Frenchie, feeling almost angry because
of having been engaged in such gruesome work, as I said:

"So far as we ourselves are concerned it has been labor lost to bring
these things here. If so be I am making my way across the lines to-night
to carry the tidings that Cornwallis has fled. I shall travel without
encumbrance; even the Jerseyman's pistol will be useless while no enemy
remains in the rear."

"All that is very well," little Frenchie said with a shrug of the
shoulders; "but before the last of the army has gone muskets may serve
us in good stead, and even though the need does not arise, it is better
we should be prepared, than taken at a disadvantage which might cost our
people dearly."

The sudden taking off of so many men directly before our eyes, and the
knowledge that if the cannon ball had inclined ever so slightly toward
the east, we, instead of them, would have gone out from this world
forever, served not to dampen our joy and triumph, but to cast a veil
over it, as you might say, so that we spoke in whispers, and did not
indulge in mirth; but carried ourselves much as people do in the
presence of the dead.

There was no good reason why all of us lads should linger in the cabin,
and every cause for us to go forth to keep an eye over the enemy,
therefore when I said that it stood us in hand to know what was going
on, even at the expense of losing our breakfast which was not yet
cooked, Pierre, seemingly having grown careless, insisted that Saul
should come with us.

"While our people are working their guns so lively there is no danger
those fellows in the loft can make themselves heard, and even though
they did cry for help, I do not believe any of the king's troops would
spend time to go to their assistance, therefore we will leave them as
they are."

This did not seem to me consistent with little Pierre's caution when he
gathered up the muskets, insisting