from the platform was a sort
of casemate, which might have been constructed for a magazine, or for a
place of resort for the gunners if the fort should be bombarded. Not a
man could be seen, and if there was any garrison for the place, they
were certainly taking things very comfortably, for they must have been
asleep at this unseemly hour for any ordinary occupation.

Not far from the battery was a rude structure, hardly better than a
shanty, which Christy concluded must be the barracks of the soldiers if
there were any there. He walked over to it; but there was not a human
being to be seen in the vicinity. It was half past one at night, when
honest people ought to be abed and asleep, and the first lieutenant of
the Bronx concluded that the garrison, if this shanty was their
quarters, must be honest people.

Christy walked very cautiously to the side of the building, for the
entrance was at the end nearest to the fort, and found several windows
there, from which the sashes seemed to have been removed, if there had
ever been any. The bottom of each opening was no higher than his head,
and he went to one of them and looked in.

Extending along the middle of the interior was a row of berths. It was
very dark inside, and he could not make out whether or not these bunks
were occupied. The windows on the other side of the shanty enabled him
to see that there were two rows of berths, each backing against the
other. There were two in each tier, and he judged that the barrack would
accommodate forty-eight men.

He retained his place at the window in order to discover any movement
made by a sleeper that would inform him whether or not the berths were
occupied. If there were any soldiers there, they were as quiet as
statues; but while he was watching for a movement, he heard a decided
snore. There was at least one man there, and he continued to hear his
sonorous breathing as long as he remained at the window, which was the
first on the side of the shanty.

[Illustration: Christy walked the whole length of the shanty.]

Christy decided to push the investigation still farther, and he went
to a window in the middle of the building. He regarded the berths with
attention for a few minutes, but he could perceive no movement. He could
hear two snorers who seemed to be competing with each other to see who
could make the most noise.

If the berths were all occupied, three snorers were not a very great
proportion in forty-eight. H