had yet sufficient of sense remaining to understand that by staying
longer in the loft, if they were counting on shooting at me through the
crevices of the logs, I would sacrifice my life without being able to
make any reprisals, and, stopping only long enough to fire in the
direction where I had seen the musket, I dropped to the floor below,
explaining hurriedly to Pierre why I had seemingly retreated.

"It is all over with us," the dear lad said, and would have examined the
wound on my face. "No less than a dozen more men have come from the
redoubt, and we can only sell our lives as dearly as possible."

Then it was the fever of battle so far left me that there was room in my
heart for fear, and while taking my stand by the side of the other lads,
believing firmly that within the next few minutes I should be dead or
wounded unto death, I contrived to hold command over my knees so no one
might see I had again grown cowardly.

Then it was, when all of us were, as you might say, resigned to death,
that we suddenly heard the parley sounded by drums all along the lines,
and straightway those red-coats who were facing us, counting to hound us
to death, wheeled about, making for the redoubt, while we stood looking
at each other in bewilderment, until Pierre shouted at the full strength
of his lungs:

"A parley! A parley! My Lord Cornwallis has sounded the parley, which
means that he is ready to surrender! He who came to drive us from off
the soil of Virginia is now wanting to make terms with the rebels!"

It was indeed as the lad had said. From the moment the drums were heard
all fighting ceased, and where had been such a tumult and a roaring as
drowned all other sounds, silence fell.

It was like some work of magic; those who had been thirsting for each
other's blood threw down their arms; men no longer shouted in anger;
never a weapon was discharged, and in both the armies every one
seemingly stood silent and motionless awaiting the result of this
flourish of drums.

There is no good reason why I should continue this story of the Minute
Boys of York Town, for there can be no doubt but that every one who
reads what I have written knows full well all that happened there on the
York river from the time parley was sounded until the vast army of
red-coats were held prisoners in the hands of the "rebels."

In writing the closing lines let me set down that which happened some
time after my Lord Cornwallis surrendered, les