d.

I cannot set down that which followed, in proper fashion so that it
could be understood by those familiar with the game of war; I only
know what happened near my comrades and myself, for the crew of the
Avenger had taken good care to stand side by side at this time when
one or all of us might meet death through the medium of British lead.

For myself, I can say this: that when I looked around at the mass of
men--five thousand strong I have since heard--, and saw them wrangling
over this trifling matter or that, openly disputing some command, or
boldly leaving an assigned position to take up one which pleased them
better, I had more fear of what might come to us through the cowardice
or ignorance of our own people, than regarding the ability of the
enemy to cut us up.

Darius made his preparations for the conflict by stuffing a huge piece
of tobacco into his mouth, after which he proceeded to read us a
lecture on behavior while under fire.

"Remember this," he said with the air of one who knows it all, "it
isn't every bullet that finds its billet, an' the toughest time is
just now, when we're waitin' for what all hands know is bound to come.
Think of the folks at Benedict, an' kind'er figger out what they'd
say if you went home after showin' yourselves cowards under fire.
There are worse things than bein' killed or wounded in battle, an' the
hardest is to live knowin' every youngster on the street has the right
to call you a white-livered sneak what ran away when danger came.
Stand here behind Joshua Barney, for I warrant he won't give you a
chance to get in front of him, an' you'll be doin' about right."

When the old man had come to an end of his instructions, we would have
conversed among ourselves, speaking much, no doubt, of the folks at
home; but he sternly bade us hold our tongues, thinking that we would
not be heartened by such talk, and straightway began to tell us a yarn
of how he and Bill Jepson had fought under Commodore Barney, when the
enemy was a ship of thirty-two guns, and they in a schooner carrying
only twelve 10-pounders.

The yarn had not yet come to an end when a commotion among the men in
front of us caused me to crane my neck to look in the direction many
were pointing, and there I saw the lines of red marching directly
toward us in perfect order, as if on parade.

At almost the same moment the enemy began to throw rockets among our
people, and these, exploding, hurled bullets' in ever